PTR: 6 adults, 2 kids, 3 states, 1 holiday, and a lot of Disney Dining!- Updtd 11/11

[Minnie_Mom]

Welcome!

This will be the first time I have attempted a Dining PTR, and I am honestly very excited to be participating on this friendly board.

While I can’t promise you that this will be a life-changing read, I can promise that this will be a PTR full of dining dreams, Disney memories, funny stories, and lots of gratuitous pictures. We are a group of 8 travelers... 6 adults and 2 children. Well, sometimes it is more like 0 adults and 8 children. But, that’s okay at WDW, right? We are coming from 3 states and meeting in WDW to celebrate Thanksgiving.


The entire crew, Magic Kingdom, October 2011


This is the culinary adventures of me and my family. Who are we? Well, that seems like the perfect place to begin.



First up... My Family






Audrey Anne and me, September 2011
I am Emily- A full-time mommy, a part-time pharmacist, and an all-the-time disney lover. As most people on the boards, planning is half the fun for me, especially making extra special for everyone traveling with us. I have traveled to WDW several times a child/young adult and have loved introducing my kiddos to Disney. I'm very proud to say that thus far I have been very successful at raising two Disney-obsessed children. My list of favorites: Park- Magic Kingdom, Resort- AKL, Restaurant - Cinderella’s Royal Table, Character- Mickey, and Ride- Rock-N-Roller coaster.



Jonathan and Porter, Seaside, FL, May 2012
My husband is Jonathan. Prior to marrying me, he had only been to WDW once as a child. It was not until our son was born that I was able to talk him into a trip to WDW. In October 2008, we took our first trip together to celebrate our son’s first birthday. While he would not admit that he was hooked, I have not had any trouble convincing him to return to WDW and I often overhear him telling other dads the benefits of a Disney vacation. If WDW is my addiction, then golf is his. He can be found on the golf course most anytime he is not at work and has already mentioned packing his clubs for this trip! Jonathan’s list of favorites: Park- Magic Kingdom, Resort- Pop, Restaurant- ‘Ohana, Character- Mickey, and Ride- Expedition Everest.




Porter, Magic Kingdom, October 2011
The third traveler is Porter. This will be his 5th trip to WDW. He will be turning 5 about a month before our trip. He made his first trip to the world in October 2008 to celebrate is first birthday. He loves all things Disney and starts asking when we are going back to “Mickey’s House” the day we get home from vacation. To say that he is 100% boy would be an understatement, he is full of life, knows no fear, and is always entertaining. Despite being a little firecracker, he is one of the most tenderhearted children I have ever known. Porter doesn’t like for anyone to be hurt or sad and makes sure that I know that he will always be my baby. He is a fantastic big brother who is patient, protective, and loving to his “baby.” He is super excited to be 44 inches and can’t wait to ride SM and EE. Porter list of favorites: Park- Magic Kingdom, Resort- Pop Century, Restaurant- any character dining, Character- Peter Pan and Hook, and Ride- Splash Mountain.




Audrey Anne, Epcot, October 2011
Audrey Anne is our little princess. If her big brother is 100% boy, then she is 110% girl! As soon as her feet hit the ground in the mornings, she asks for her shoes, hair bow, and bracelet. She is a loving little girl who is becoming just as much of a clown as her big brother. She has a bit of a shy side when she is in new situations, but if Porter is with her, she is adjusts quickly. She is a laid back but has A LOT of spunk. You just never know what she is going to say or do. Audrey Anne will be turning 3 in ONE week. This will be 4th trip to WDW. Her first trip was actually over Thanksgiving, too! Audrey Anne’s list of favorites: Park- Magic Kingdom, Resort- wherever mommy and daddy are, Restaurant- Cinderella’s Royal Table, Character- the princesses, and Ride- It’s a Small World and the Tea Cups.


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Up next, the world's best grandparents, Marmee and Poppy






Marmee with Audrey Anne, September 2011
Marmee always planning a trip somewhere. Jonathan and my dad don’t know it yet, but we are planning another Disney trip in September 2013. Marmee is a school teacher, so her schedule almost always dictates when we can visit WDW. Luckily for us, her school district is taking an entire week for Thanksgiving this year. As much as I love to plan these trips, I am not sure that I could pull it off without her. She is always thinking of details that I may forget and is fantastic at keeping things organized. She is also like a walking encyclopedia on Disney pin codes. In our past 5 trips to WDW, we have had a discount every time... Go Marmee! Her first trip to WDW was when I was 18 months old and she plays a large role in my love of Disney. Marmee’s list of favorites: Park- Epcot, Resort- Grand Floridian, Restaurant- Le Cellier, Character- Mickey/Minnie, and Ride- Tower of Terror.




Poppy with Porter and Audrey Anne, Seaside, FL, May 2012
Poppy works hard and plays hard. He loves spending time with Porter and Audrey Anne and will spend his vacation making sure they are having the best time possible! Like my mom, Poppy’s first trip WDW was when I was 18 months old. Every trip he says that we are going somewhere new next year, but he is always the first person on board as soon as Porter asks, “Poppy, when are we going back to Mickey’s House?” Poppy's list of favorites: Park- Magic Kingdom, Resort- AKL, Restaurant- 'Ohana (the only one he has ever actually asked to go back to), Character- Mickey/Peter Pan and Hook (primarily because Porter loves them so much), and Ride- Rock-N-Roller Coaster.


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Next up are my baby brother, Rick and his fabulous girlfriend, Jahni






My baby brother and me, Seaside, FL, May 2012
Okay, so he is not a baby anymore. But, he will always be my baby brother! Rick loves Disney, but loves hunting even more. It is hard for me to imagine a taking a trip to WDW without my little brother. We always have such a great time getting to be kids again while we are at WDW. Rick’s list of fav’s: Park: DHS, Resort: Grand Floridian, Restaurant: ‘Ohana, Character: Donald Duck, and Ride- Rock-N-Roller Coaster.





Jahni and Rick, Epcot, October 2011
Jahni is one busy lady. She’s a lawyer, a Judge, AND she has to put up with my brother! She definitely deserves a vacation. I had the pleasure of introducing Jahni to WDW last October. I was so nervous about Jahni joining us. What if she hated WDW? What if none of my plans worked out? What if it rained the entire first two days we were there? Well, maybe it did rain the entire first two days we were there. But, in spite of the weather. Jahni fell in love with WDW and I am so happy to say that I converted her to a complete Disney addict. In fact after returning from our trip last October, she went back again in January! This will be Jahni's 3rd trip to the World, and she is going to be the co-author of this report. I can’t wait for her to have her first ever Disboards post! Jahni’s list of favorites: Park: Magic Kingdom, Resort: Poly, Restaurant: Tusker House, Character: Gus-Gus, and Ride: EE.

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Since you haven’t seen enough pictures in this post, I’ll leave you with a picture of Porter and Audrey Anne with one of their very favorite Disney snacks!



In the next post... Why this is the trip that almost wasn’t taken with two travelers that almost were not...

[Minnie_Mom]

Table of Contents
Introductions
Background
Jahni's Introduction
Dining Plans
Day One
Jahni's Day One
Day Two
Jahni's Day Two
Day Three
Jahni's Day Three
Day Four
Day Five
Day Six
Day Seven
Day Eight
Day Nine
Day 10
Day 11
Add another celebration to the list...

[Minnie_Mom]

Okay, okay, okay... I know that so far this has not been very dining-related but we’re getting there, I promise. You gotta know the background before you can know the details!

So, here’s the story of the trip that almost wasn’t with two travelers that almost were not.

You see we (everyone except Rick and Jahni) were planning on taking a Disney Cruise over Thanksgiving, but then my son reached 44 inches tall. Then, he began begging to go ride SM and EE. Then, I realized how much we would save by changing our trip to WDW over Thanksgiving. Then, I realized that we could stay longer AND still save money. Ok, good-bye cruise. Hello, Disney World. Was I sad to say good-bye to Feasting on the Fantasy? You bet. But, who can be sad when a trip to WDW is the consolation prize. Plus, there is just more planning invovled with WDW compared to the cruise, and planning is always more fun! So, that is how this trip was almost cruise, instead of a trip to WDW.

Now, who are the travelers that almost were not on the trip. That would by my silly baby brother and the co-author of this report, his girlfriend, Jahni. When we booked the cruise we begged my brother to join us. Begged and begged and begged. He said no. Silly boy. Why would anyone refuse to Disney trip? Well, he is a huge duck hunter. Duck season would be opening while we were on the cruise. In his mind duck hunting > cruise. I think he’s crazy. But, he’s family.
Once we decided to go the WDW, we begged him again to please join us. Begged and begged and begged. He still said no. I still said silly boy. So, mom and I forged ahead with making plans and, most importantly, ADRs. Then on 8/20, he changed his mind. Maybe it was my excitement over getting a BOG reservation, maybe it was a well-played negotiation by Jahni, or maybe it was a small moment of weakness, but less than 12 hours after mentioning he wished he was going, Jahni had them booked. Yay, Jahni! While we couldn’t convince him to stay the entire trip, they will be there for 5 days. That's good enough for me!

Then, the dining scramble began. Jahni and I began frantically trying to get her and Rick ADRs AND trying to coordinate their dining plans with ours. Mission: Impossible? Maybe. But through LOTS of searching and rearranging, I can proudly say that we made Mission: Impossible become Mission: Accomplished!


Since I can't give you an update without a picture, here are Porter and Audrey Anne enjoying the Cool Zone, one of our favorite spots in Epcot!


Up next: Our Dining Plans will finally be revealed and maybe we will hear from co-author and first-time Disboards poster, Jahni... aka Judgey Judgerson.

[DonaldDoleWhip]

Hi there! I'm looking forward to your report - I loved your introductions, and I think it's great that so many members of your family have come together over WDW.

I don't know your full dining plans yet, but scoring an ADR at Be Our Guest has to be a good sign! I'm looking forward to more.

[Judgey Judgerson]

It is so difficult to begin a "Hi, I'm new here!" post. I've never been the new kid in class, so a teacher has never made me stand up and introduce myself (the pitfalls of public education, only the NEW kids get to learn how to introduce themselves...i kid, i kid, I'm pretty sure that only happens on tv). But thankfully I DO have Emily (Minnie_Mom) to Jiminy Cricket me along the DisBoards and WDW!

So, hello there! Thanks to Emily's awesome introductions you already know a little about me. But in case some of you are still wondering (and because I think I need some content for my FIRST POST I'm Jahni (pronounced "Johnny" and I have no explanation for the spelling other than my mother "wanted it to look like a girl's name." Also, unrelated to my Mother's child naming ability but interesting still, a "jahni" in India is something like a green bean, apparently..The More You Know).

I feel like I need a picture here, I've been lurking for quite some time now, and this feels like a place where people would normally post a pic...so here you go!
..oops, i just realized that I do not have 10 posts yet, so no pics from me! I will correct that quickly.

As Emily mentioned, I'm an attorney and a judge (for two small municipalities in Oklahoma, i'm not sentencing anyone to life in the clink, just handling some misdemeanors]) and I make up the 3rd state in our tri-state trip report.

Yes, as Emily also mentioned we are traveling from 3 separate states to celebrate together! Emily, her family, and parents are traveling from Tennessee, I'm coming all the way from Oklahoma, and my boyfriend (baby brother to Emily) Rick, is coming from Illinois. And for those of you who may be as geographically challenged as I am, Oklahoma and Illinois are not in close proximity to one another. In fact, there are about 8 "not close in proximity" hours between my house and his.

Long story short (and to think, I was worried about having enough to say!) Rick moved from TN to Oklahoma for a job. We met at the hospital where we both worked (I'm an attorney for a hospital) but after his first year, Rick got a great job opportunity in Illinois, so now he is there, I am here (in OK), and I may have used a combination of long distance relationship/duck hunting season induced guilt in order to swing this trip. All's fair in love and Disney, right?

This will be my 3rd trip to WDW. My first trip was last October and I don't think it could have been a more perfect trip. Everyone needs an Emily and a Miss Pam in their lives, especially if you're planning a trip to Disney. Yes, it rained, but we embraced it and had a ball. I loved it so much that I was able to convince my Mom and Sister to come back with me in January of this year, and I think we will be planning another trip back soon!

So, obviously this has been more of an intro than a dining post (although I did mention the green bean...do I get points for that?), but I just want to say hello and thank you for following along...with Emily as my guide, hopefully we can provide entertainment and information and plenty of Disney fun!

[Minnie_Mom]

Originally Posted by DonaldDoleWhip

Hi there! I'm looking forward to your report - I loved your introductions, and I think it's great that so many members of your family have come together over WDW.

I don't know your full dining plans yet, but scoring an ADR at Be Our Guest has to be a good sign! I'm looking forward to more.

I'm so glad you are reading along. I have really enjoyed reading your dining reports. I have been drooling over your dining reports from all the AKL restaurants!

I am so thankful that so many of my family members love Disney and that we enjoyed traveling with each other. We all balance each other out fairly well and have the traveling together thing down to a fine art. Going to WDW wouldn't be the same without all of them!

Dining plans wil be up soon... promise!

[Minnie_Mom]

Originally Posted by Judgey Judgerson

It is so difficult to begin a "Hi, I'm new here!" post. I've never been the new kid in class, so a teacher has never made me stand up and introduce myself (the pitfalls of pubic education, only the NEW kids get to learn how to introduce themselves...i kid, i kid, I'm pretty sure that only happens on tv). But thankfully I DO have Emily (Minnie_Mom) to Jiminy Cricket me along the DisBoards and WDW!

Yay, you're here! AND you've made you're first post!! Welcome to the Disboards!

I feel like I need a picture here, I've been lurking for quite some time now, and this feels like a place where people would normally post a pic...so here you go!
..oops, i just realized that I do not have 10 posts yet, so no pics from me! I will correct that quickly.

Here you go... I'll post one for you (disclaimer: Poster may not have authorized the posting of this photo. It may be stolen from said poster's FB page )

I'm coming all the way from Oklahoma, and my boyfriend (baby brother to Emily) Rick, is coming from Illinois. And for those of you who may be as geographically challenged as I am, Oklahoma and Illinois are not in close proximity to one another. In fact, there are about 8 "not close in proximity" hours between my house and his.

I can solve your problem... You both could move to Tennessee!

I may have used a combination of long distance relationship/duck hunting season induced guilt in order to swing this trip. All's fair in love and Disney, right?

Of course! Do you know how many golf tournaments I have used as leverage to get a WDW trip?!?!?

So, obviously this has been more of an intro than a dining post (although I did mention the green bean...do I get points for that?), but I just want to say hello and thank you for following along...with Emily as my guide, hopefully we can provide entertainment and information and plenty of Disney fun!

Alright, we've got to get some dining post up soon or they're going to kick us off this board! Dining plans will be posted very soon... promise!

[Minnie_Mom]

Dining Plans... Revealed!
So before I reveal our dining plans, I feel like I need to tell you a little about our Disney dining style.

Our Disney Dining Style
Generally, we try to eat 1 TS meal a day. We find that this gives us a nice break but isn’t too much for Porter and Audrey Anne.

We are not big breakfast people, well except for maybe Jonathan and Rick. Breakfast at Tusker House is a crowd favorite so we will definitely be going here, and I MUST try Tonga Toast, so we will be stopping by Capt. Cook’s one morning. But, most days we will just grab a granola bar in the room, but I’m sure there will be a morning or two where we try breakfast in the Pop or AoA food court(s). With little ones, one of the best times to be in the park is early in the morning, so we try not to spend too much time eating breakfast. We are definitely a part of the rope drop crowd. Most days we will go back to the room after lunch for a little rest time.

Our dinners tend to be late. We eat late at home. Porter and Audrey Anne are used to eating late, so this works well for us. It helps to wind down the day and signals to the kiddos that playtime is over. Plus, we find that we can enjoy dinner more if we are not worried about getting to the next place.

About our plans:
Any special plans we have for the day will be listed at the top as well as the parks we will be in for the day.

One of our goals for this trip was to try some new places, and I think we have done a good job of accomplishing this goal while still including some old favorites. Any new places are in PINK.

The * denotes the "solo" dining choice of Jahni and Rick. Why they wouldn't want to eat EVERY meal with us, I will never know

~Disclaimer: Any counter services listed are primarily where I want to eat. I haven’t really consulted anyone else Some of them I know everyone will eat at, but other times we will just split up for these meals, especially at Epcot.


Day One, November 15- Travel Day... WDW, here we come!
Breakfast: N/A
Lunch: N/A
Dinner: Airport; Jahni @ DTD... Where ya eating Jahni?


Day Two, November 16- DHS/MK; First Park Day; MVMCP (Jahni and Rick)
Breakfast: In-room
Lunch: Starring Rolls... Cupcakes here we come!
Dinner: California Grill; GFC*

Day Three, November 17- AK/Epcot
Breakfast: Tusker House
Lunch: Flame Tree orAoA Food Court or DTD (Jahni- I might have heard a rumor that you and Rick maybe be trying TS at Yak and Yeti?)
Dinner: Tangerine Cafe (Emily and crew); Cape May Buffett*

Day Four, November 18- MK/HS; Family Magic Tour; Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights
Breakfast: In-room
Lunch: CHH
Dinner: Sci-Fi Dine-In

Day Five, November 19- Epcot/Epcot; FANTASYLAND EXPANSION PREVIEW OPENS!
Breakfast: In-room
Lunch: Boulangerie Patisserie
Dinner: La Hacendia; Tutto Italia*

Day Six, November 20- MK/MK; Porter: Pirates League; Audrey Anne: BBB; Jahni and Rick leave in afternoon... Boo!
Breakfast: In-room
Lunch: BE OUR GUEST CS... before Rick and Jahni leave!
Dinner: CRT

Day Seven, November 21- HS/DTD
Breakfast: In-room
Lunch: Bill and Min’s Dockside Diner (Me); Pizza Planet (everyone else)
Dinner: Wolfgang Puck Express OR T-Rex

Day Eight, November 22- No Parks today; THANKSGIVING!
Breakfast: Capt. Cook’s... Hello, Tonga Toast!
Lunch: Snack (earlier dinner)
Dinner: Hoop-De-Doo Revue

Day Nine, November 23- AK/MK
Breakfast: In-room
Lunch: Restaurantosaurus (Porter and Audrey Anne); Flame Tree (everyone else)
Dinner: BOG... HOORAY!

Day Ten, November 24- Epcot/Epcot; Candlelight Processional
Breakfast: In-room
Lunch: Sunshine Seasons
Dinner: Tutto Italia Candlelight Processional Package

Day Eleven, November 25- MK/MK; MVMCP
Breakfast: In-room
Lunch: Sleepy Hollow... must try waffle sandwich
Dinner: Casey’s

Day Twelve, November 26- Go home
Breakfast: Pop Century or AoA Food Court
Lunch: Pop Century or AoA Food Court for plane, if possible
Dinner: Airport

So, that’s it. Our trip in one post. Let me know. What do you think? Looking at this list, I just have to wonder... will there be any changes? I’m sure there will be. But, I’m just not sure what they will be, yet.

Our next several posts will primarily be breaking down our dining choices by day.

I’ll leave you with picture of yet another Mickey Bar...

Audrey Anne enjoying her 1st Mickey Bar, Disney Wonder, September 2010

Up next, Day 1 explained...

[DonaldDoleWhip]

Welcome Jahni! And I love the username (and green bean story ).

The dining plans look great. I can't wait to hear about Be Our Guest - it's so cool that you'll be dining there on its second day of previews (and will be going back for dinner)!

[NoOrdinaryPrincess]

Your ADRs look great! Welcome Jahni! Signing on to this PTR!

[Minnie_Mom]

Originally Posted by DonaldDoleWhip

Welcome Jahni! And I love the username (and green bean story ).

The dining plans look great. I can't wait to hear about Be Our Guest - it's so cool that you'll be dining there on its second day of previews (and will be going back for dinner)!

I am very excited to be going to BOG and to be able to report back on a new restaurant! I am not brave enough to try to work it in our plans on Nov 19, Preview Opening Day. I know it will be super busy on 11/20, but it will be a Madhouse on the 19th!

Originally Posted by NoOrdinaryPrincess

Your ADRs look great! Welcome Jahni! Signing on to this PTR!

Thanks for joining us. We're glad to have you!

[Minnie_Mom]

Day One

Since Day 1 is primarily a travel day, I am going to post Day 2 plans today, too.

So here we go...

Day One, November 15- Travel Day... WDW, here we come!
Breakfast: N/A
Lunch: N/A
Dinner: Airport; Jahni @ DTD... Where ya eating Jahni?

Well, breakfast and lunch will be at our house as I frantically try to shove everything we own into suitcases. Nothing like waiting until the last minute.

I imagine that our house will look something like this by the time I’m done...


Once we get to the airport, we will grab some food for supper. The food choices at our airport are limited, so we’ll probably just get something from the closest restaurant. Hopefully, we will be able to get our supper to-go so we can avoid this...



Yep, the last thing you want on a late night flight to WDW is sleeping kids. Well, maybe YOU want sleeping kids, but as a parent, I want awake kids.
While we on our late night flight, Jahni will be living it up in DTD since she has the first flight out. I will Jahni fill you all in on her Day 1 dining plans...

So, that pretty much wraps up Day 1. Not much fun as far as Disney dining goes, but there will be plenty of yummy food in the next post for Day 2.

[Minnie_Mom]

Day Two


Day Two, November 16- DHS/MK; First Park Day; MVMCP (Jahni and Rick)
Breakfast: In-room
Lunch: Starring Rolls... Cupcakes here we come!
Dinner: California Grill; GFC*

Day 2 will be our first official day in the parks!

Breakfast
We’ll start our day with breakfast in the room. While I’ll be wanting some of these...


I’ll have to settle for one of these...





Lunch
Starring Rolls is my favorite CS in HS. What better way to start a WDW trip then with one of these beautiful treats...

Now, I know that there are some who find these to be a little too sweet but not me! I’ve never met any sweet that I didn’t like!

But before I can enjoy my cupcake, I’ll have to eat a real meal, you know, to set a good example for my kiddos. Since I don’t like ham, I will have to go with a turkey focaccia sandwich like this one...

While this looks yummy, it is really just an means to an end... a delicious, yummy cupcake!




Supper- Jahni and Rick
For tonight’s meal our group will split up. Rick and Jahni are going to MVMCP so they will be eating an early dinner GFC.


I am hoping one of them will try the lobster burger. It looks really unique.


They’ve never eaten here, so I’m sure they would love some suggestions. Can anyone give them any?




Supper- The rest of the crew
While Jahni and Rick are celebrating an early Christmas with Mickey, the rest of the crew will be at California Grill.



We have a reservation timed where we can hopefully see something like this while we eat...



This will be a new restaurant for us all. We chose it because we wanted somewhere special to celebrate my parent’s 35th anniversary, but somewhere that would also but fun for the kids. California Grill seemed to fit the bill. We also LOVE sushi. So while I am not sure what we will order for our main course, I am hoping that we can get a dragon roll to start with.

In addition to sushi, I love cheese and so does my mom. It would be safe to bet that we will also have a yummy cheese plate on our table.


Porter and Audrey Anne are pretty adventurous eaters, so I am hoping there will be something unique for them to try on the kid’s menu. I do know that they will definitely be having this cute little dessert...


I can’t wait to see their little faces when they see it. They will be so excited!



I will leave you with this photo to demonstrate my adventurous little eaters...

Audrey Anne enjoying her first taste of escargot, Disney Wonder, Sept 2011


So, that’s Day 2. Coming up next, Day 3...

[jabead]

Your trip plans look great, Emily! What a great place to have a family reunion trip!


Oh, and welcome to the DIS, Jahni!

[Judgey Judgerson]

Originally Posted by DonaldDoleWhip

Welcome Jahni! And I love the username (and green bean story ).

The dining plans look great. I can't wait to hear about Be Our Guest - it's so cool that you'll be dining there on its second day of previews (and will be going back for dinner)!

Thank you so much for the welcome! I look forward to catching up on all of your reviews. The username came about after trying about 27 other names with no luck So I went with the nickname a friend of mine gave me after we went shoe shopping one day (apparently I was shooting down all of her preferred choices ) and seeing how it kind of fits in with my profession, it stuck!

I absolutely cannot wait for BOG, I didn't even think about being able to eat there for CS. That Minnie_Mom, she's one smart cookie!