Coming to you Live from Disney World! SEE NEW THREAD

[MissPrice]

Thank you so much!! After working hard in nursing school for 3 years, this trip is well deserved. My husband and I have been looking forward to it since we booked in March. Our first time staying Deluxe as well!!

 

[jabead]

So, I've been lurking on this thread since the beginning. Sadly, I have no tickers and don't know if I'll ever be able to contribute. But, I just had to let you know that this is my favorite thread on the DISboards! The work that has gone into this is amazing and I look forward to checking in each day to see if there is anything new from the live reporters. The next best thing to being there.

Thank you so much for coming out of "lurkdom". I consider everyone who posts comments, questions, suggestions, etc. to also be a contributor to this thread. So in other words, you are now a part of this thread. I hope you will continue to be an active member by commenting whenever the mood strikes or whenever you find an update particularly drool-worthy.

I'm only half way through the thread, because I've been on an self-inflected Restaurant Board break till closer to our trip.

But, anyway, our next trip is coming up very soon. We'll be traveling from 1/24 - 2/10 with a group varying in size from 5 to 9. We're driving from Upstate NY to Lorton, VA to catch the Autotrain down to Sanford. Staying one night in the new Drury Inn in Orlando, then 2 weeks at AKL- Kidani.

We're an interesting group to feed. One gluten free child, a vegan, a picky kid with sensory issues, a couple of foodies, a drinker and a few tee-totalers...oh, and on this trip, one BRAND NEW Disney visitor in our friend Angela, who is visiting as her "hit Disney before 30th birthday" goal.

I'd love to review if anyone would be interested. I could review from start to finish including the Autotrain if that would be of interest to the folks here. We're taking our first non-dining plan trip in a decade and using TIW instead. There'll be a strong mix of mostly onsite dining from sit down to Counter Service and a few off-site or in room meals. I anticipate MANY, MANY snacks.

Meals planned so far are:
Z-Pizza in Lorton, VA
Pollo Campero/Babycakes
Earl of Sandwich
Wolfgang Puck Express
Bongos Takeout Window
T-Rex
Be Our Guest lunch
Katsura Grill
Tangeriene Cafe
Cape May Clambake
Ohana'
1900 Park Faire Breakfast
Yak and Yeti (either CS or TS, not decided yet)

The rest of the meals are up in the air. Still finalizing plans. I need suggestions for CS at Hollywood Studios. We've made many, many trips and I've still never had a good CS meal there, but don't have the timing right on this trip to leave for Epcot or Boardwalk the way we usually do for lunch.

~Leigh

Oh, is there still a scavenger hunt or anything that would convince my group to take photos of their food without complaining? They're super competitive, so anything that gives them "points", even virtual points, is a winner. We're actually doing a family photo scavenger hunt through the entire WDW complex over our 2 week vacation for a grand prize and bragging rights.

Hi Leigh! What a diverse group you will have with you on your trip. It should make for some very interesting Disney dining, so I of course would love to have you doing live updates! As long as you are able to do your first Disney food update on or before Jan. 31st, you would be eligible to participate in our January game for the entire length of your trip. The link to the game rules is in my signature and also that is where I post the daily point totals (so you can see how your competition is doing ).

Oh, and I'll send you a copy of the PM I sent out to all of our January reporters.

 

[jabead]

Ok, how about another update?

This one from emmebear (& rachel09985) who spent most of the day together at Magic Kingdom.

Emme & Rachel

Emme got some new friends today

Emme on a solo flight




And then they paid a visit to...

Where they all got to try the LeFou's Brew.

Oops, I guess Emme was not a fan.

​

I'm awarding both emmebear and rachel09985 5 Bonus Points for these fun DISmeet pics

 

[CaliBear]

Thanks CaliBear! And if you should decide that you would like to join our January Live Reporting Team, just let me know. I always have room for one more!

Thanks jabead! I would like to participate. I will be there from Jan 21-26.

 

[jecskc]

Yay for Rachel and Emme having a dismeet. That little girl is the cutest !!

 

[jabead]

Thanks jabead! I would like to participate. I will be there from Jan 21-26.

Welcome to the January team, CaliBear! I'll send you a copy of the PM I sent to the rest of the team right away.

Yay for Rachel and Emme having a dismeet. That little girl is the cutest !!

Hi Susan! Just checking on your upcoming trip. Are you planning to give live reporting another try? If not, that's fine but I wanted to make sure to include you in the schedule if you were.

 

[jabead]

Now for an update from glasslipper.


She and her family had dinner last night at...



BOMA

"DD and DS both had the jungle juice, amazing!"

"DS's plate - salmon, rice, paneer cheese with spicy tomato soup with peas, fufu, and ribs. It was all good except for the fufu."

"DH's plate - roasted chicken, mashed potatoes, salmon, and steak. It was all very good!"

"DD's plate - roasted chicken, rice, salad, and sun dried tomato hummus. Very good!"

"DD's chicken coconut curry soup, it was incredible!"

DS's dessert plate - chocolate cinnamon mousse, fruit cobbler, and banana and butterscotch bread pudding with a rum sauce. It was all really good except for the cobbler."

"These are DD's dairy-free desserts. The chef was great, he walked through the line with her and told her what she could have and brought out several dairy-free dishes."

"My dessert plate - zebra dome, chocolate mousse, fruit, and a coffee tart. All great, especially the coffee tart!"
​

3 January Game Points Earned

 

[quietgirll]

Lol I've been trying to update all day- between my phone locking up, and the Internet being slow, it's slow going! It's currently sending the first half of our lunch today, but who knows when it will make it all the way through! Argh!

 

[jabead]

This update was received from Robin (ciera321).


She and her family were at Epcot tonight and had dinner at...


Via Napoli

Via Napoli's wood-burning ovens named after the 3 active volcanoes in Italy - Mount Etna, Mount Vesuvius and Stromboli.

Candele - candle stick pasta, sausage ragu, polpettine meatballs, mozzarella, and ricotta cheese


Robin said, "I had the candele, which was loaded with ricotta, veal meatballs, mozzarella, and sausage."

Chicken Parmigiana - traditional preparation with tomato sauce, parmesan and mozzarella, served with roasted potatoes


"My DH had the chicken parm. For the sake of this report, I tasted it and we both agreed that it was perfect. Crispy edges, moist chicken, and a thick sauce. It cam with roasted potatoes, which were fine."

Pepperoni Pizza


"DS had the pepperoni pizza, which he enjoyed a lot! The pizza here is always so good."

Tiramisu - Mascarpone cream, espresso coffee, lady fingers, and chocolate


"For dessert we had Tiramisu - very light and delicious."

Gelato Frizzante


"And DS chose the Orange Ice Cream Soda. He slurped it down so fast I didn't get a chance to try it.
It was obvious that this was a winner!"



​

2 January Game Points Earned + 1 Bonus Point for pic of ovens

 

[jabead]

And speaking of Via Napoli, another reporter, Christina (DisneyMamato4) was also there today for lunch.


Via Napoli



Christina said, "We had a late lunch at 2 p.m. and were surprisingly hungry since we hadn't eaten since 8 a.m. We split a Frito Misto and a Mezzo Metro Pizza with sausage. Sorry about the pictures, the kids dug in before I could snap a picture."

Fritto Misto - an assortment of just-fried seasonal vegetables, calamari & cheese


"The Frito Misto was wonderful, the batter was nice and crisp and not greasy at all."

Mezzo Metro Pizza with Sausage


"The pizza was just as good. We ate the whole thing."





Then Christina said, "After a long day at Epcot, we headed to Downtown Disney for some shopping and decided to pick up dinner from..."



Earl of Sandwich

Holiday Sandwich with oven-roasted turkey, stuffing, cranberries, seasoned mayonnaise and warm gravy



"Today was the last day it's available. My favorite!"

Tuna Melt with Albacore Tuna Salad & Melted Aged Swiss



"Seriously best tuna sandwich ever!"

The Original 1762 - Freshly Roasted Beef, Sharp Cheddar & Creamy Horseradish Sauce



"This is my husband's. He gets it everytime and loves it."
​

5 January Game Points Earned

 

[jabead]

I've received two more updates this evening, but they will have to wait until morning because it's past this girl's bedtime.


So good night folks and sweet dreams!

 

[jabead]

Good Morning everyone! Let's start the day with a little ray of sunshine...

Emme and Tinkerbell






Emme and her mom, emmebear, had lunch yesterday at...


Be our Guest

Now for some food pics...

Carved Turkey Sandwich served on a warm baguette with Dijon mayonnaise and Pomme Frites

A close-up shot


emmebear said, "This was good but less turkey than last visit in November. I wish the bread was crustier!
The fries were a little soggy like last time."




And for dessert...

Strawberry Cream Cheese Cupcake - vanilla sponge cake, strawberry mousse filling, and cream cheese icing

Emme enjoying her cupcake

​

Sadly that is emmebear's last update for this weekend visit to Disney World. However, the good news is that she and Emme will be back there next weekend. Therefore, I will hold off on totaling her game points, etc. until after that visit.


3 January Game Points Earned + 2 Bonus Points for pic of Emme and interior dining room pics

 

[jabead]

The February schedule is looking pretty good. Thanks so much to all of our volunteers!

Here are the February dates where we could still use a few more reporters:


Feb. 10 - Feb. 13 - 1 or 2 more reporters needed

Feb. 14 - Feb. 23 - 2 or 3 more reporters needed




But of course, my motto is...I can always squeeze in one more! So if your trip falls during the first 10 days of February, but you would like to do live updates, then please let me know.

 

[jabead]

That leaves one last update sent to us last night, this one from quietgirl.


She and her DGF were at DHS yesterday.

quietgirl said, "Today our Studios day started out a little wonky since TSM was down...


But we made the best of it and adapted!!"

"For lunch, we originally had HBD fantasmic package...

Hollywood Brown Derby Menu as of Jan. 6, 2013

Kids' Menu




But we canceled it for...

ABC Commissary Menu


"Lol no! We ate at the Commissary once a few years ago, and won't go back! I heard its better, and these choices look more appetizing , but we're headed to-

"Yay! Although we were surprised the car outside was gone...

Where did the car go???





"They're still inside, so it's all good!!"

First some menu pics...

"We each got milkshakes -



"DGF got chocolate (she ate the cherry before I could get the pic)."

"And I got the Solar Flare, which is an orange creamsicle!!"

"These were thick, but very refreshing, and I was so excited they had this flavor, as it is my favorite milk shake flavor!!"





"We ordered an appetizer of fried pickles..."

"These were great! Crispy, lots of breading, weren't soggy or greasy like you find with a lot of fried pickles. They came with a spicy ranch, and I also asked for a cup of regular ranch just in case. Both ranches were great, nice flavor, and good consistency!"





"Then for the big shebang, we both ordered the all American picnic burger with fries."

The All American Picnic Burger - flame broiled Angus burger patty topped with grilled hot dog, sauerkraut, and sauteed onions, drizzled with ketchup, mustard and crowned with a pickle spear, served with french fries

A Look under the Bun


"I got mine without sauerkraut, and interestingly enough, I got significantly less fries than she did! I only took a pic of mine, but noticed how many fries she had, and she agreed I got less! It's ok, I had plenty to eat! This burger was really good, I LOVE the hot dog on top! The burger itself was just ok, but having the hot dog on top is genius! The fries were fantastic, fresh and crispy!"
​

Part II coming up next!

 

[jabead]

"For dessert, DGF had the Apple Crumble...

"And while she wasn't impressed and only had a few bites, I'm not sure if it was bad, or she was just full. I didn't taste it, I was too busy working on this..."

"The Out of this World Cheesecake- and it was! I had no problems eating the majority of it, although I did leave a little of what seemed like a rice krispy treat base? I'm not sure of that, as there's no mention of it on the menu, but it looked, tasted, and had the consistency of Rice Krispies."

"We spent the evening enjoying the Osborne Lights before heading over to DTD for dinner..."

​

3 January Game Points Earned + 9 Bonus Points for 5 menu pics, pics of quietgirl and DGF, Sci-Fi interior pics, and Misc. DHS pics

 

[Hannikins]

This thread is BRILLIANT!! I've wasted, no INVESTED, a full weekend reading through everything, thanks everyone for sharing! I'm not going until April but where can I sign up to do a live trippie!

 

[Kathymford]

Sci-Fi is my favorite place at HS!! DBF loves the old movies and commercials.

 

[partyof2]

Oh no I am so sad that they have taken the truffle croquettes off the menu at HBD. I was so excited to try the bison dish just for those!

 

[jabead]

I've heard from 5 of our reporters already today, so I think I'd better get to posting.


Our First Update of the Day was sent to us by quietgirl.


She said, "For dinner Sunday night, we headed to Downtown Disney. DGF wanted Pollo Campero again, but I had my heart set on Wolfgang Puck Express. We compromised and she got hers to go and brought it over to WPE."


"Unfortunately DGF forgot her phone, and was too hungry to wait on me to take pics, so she started on hers while I was in line. She got the same citrus chicken she got Thursday, and loved it again! She did get a tres leches for dessert- one bite, and she threw it away!"




Wolfgang Puck Express
Menu Pics

"I had the bacon wrapped meatloaf and mashed potatoes..."

Bacon-wrapped Meatloaf and Mashed Potatoes, with Port Wine sauce and topped with onion rings





"And cheesecake..."

Vanilla Bean Cheesecake



"DIVINE!!!!! these were both so good!! Can't say enough great things!" ​

2 January Game Points + 2 Bonus Points for Menu pics and First Update of the Day

 

[jabead]

Next in this morning was an update from Joyce (Jersette).



She said, "It was a beautiful day yesterday and we wandered World Showcase.
First, I had a Pimm's Cup from the Rose & Crown Pub. I love this drink...so refreshing and, well, British.
(And healthy...look at the fruit!)"

Pimm's Cup
Pimm's No. 1 (a gin-based liquor made in England from dry gin, liqueur, fruit juices and spices) and Sprite





"We also shared fish and chips from the Yorkshire County Fish Shop. It went well with my drink."

Fish & Chips





"Next was France, where we were first in line when the kiosk opened...almost as important as being the family that opens the park, right? I had a glass of Vouvray and Katy had her precious Grey Goose slushie.
I'm glad it lived up to her memories of the one she had last year!!"

"When the kids were off meeting characters, I relaxed with a Lamb Wrap from Tangierine Cafe in Morocco. The meat was good, but there wasn't enough and the pita was too much. But the couscous salad? I could have made a meal of it!!! Yumyumyum!"

Lamb Wrap served with Tangierine Couscous salad and Lentil salad





"We now have a seagull story, too! We stopped at La Cantina de San Angel because Katy wanted nachos (sorry, no pic).
The birds were pretty, uh, friendly. We were almost finished, when a huge seagull swooped down and grabbed a chip from the plate. Not once, but twice! Lunch and a show!"






Then for dinner last night, Joyce, Katy, & David went to Magic Kingdom's...


Crystal Palace
Character Dinner

Joyce's 1st Plate: Cucumber salad, Mediterranean Pasta salad, Moroccan couscous salad, roll,
& bowl of Turkey Vegetable Soup on right.


Joyce said, "I enjoyed the couscous salad just as much as the one I'd had earlier in the day!"

Joyce's 2nd Plate: Chicken nuggets, Rice noodles with veggies, Mac and Cheese, Mashed Potatoes, Turkey, and Pork Marsala.



Joyce said, "No dessert here. This was my least favorite meal. Meat was dry, some of the hot food was cold, and it all (except for the couscous, ) was blah. The atmosphere seemed chaotic and, except for Eeyore, the characters rushed through the table visit. I was disappointed because last year, this was one of my favorites. Note to self: do lunch again."

"See, we liked Eeyore!"

​

9 January Game Points Earned + 5 Bonus Points (1 for new Pimm's Cup cocktail, 3 for pic of Katy, David, & Eeyore, and 1 pt for sharing your lunch with the "wildlife" )