Emmysdaddy Joins the Damsels to Dine, Even with Princesses: Em started PDR see link

[tallen429]

I looooove caprese salad and I make it for myself at home all the time.

I've been reading a lot of reviews of Via Napoli lately and I'm dying to try it! Everything looks so fresh and wonderful! It's on my list for my January trip!
(I actually started a pre-trip report which is a first for me! LOL!)

[jecskc]

All caught up !! I really want to do breakfast at Ohana someday. I just know my family would love it !!

[AvasMommy526]

As my DD would say........ "mmmmmm, mmmmmm"
Via Napoli looks so yummy! I love Caprese salad, I make it all the time at home and use this delicious balsamic reduction in large quantities! (hey it's fat free lol!)
Obviously, I love me some good pizza so
And zeppoles, I just love! We go to a local churches feast every summer and the little Italian ladies make them right there!

Ok, it's a good thing I made a ressie for us in May because I'm obviously excited for this meal!

[jabead]

Originally Posted by emmysmommy

This was #10 on my List of 18 things to accomplish from Jabead (Barb) before I left to go on our trip. 10) Share an order of zeppole with Michael at Via Napoli.

Since Jabead is busy with December Roulette's scavenger hunt I will award my own points for successfully completing this task on her list and award myself 1,000 points!!! I think my total is now one MILLION POINTS!!

I might be a little late getting here, but I'm here now. And I might have awarded you 1000 points if you had not gone light on the yummy chocolate sauce. But I will give you 999, so your total is actually only 999,999.

[emmysmommy]

Originally Posted by Tracerr00

I really enjoyed VN when Eilee and I were there. Your pizza looks fabulous and cheesy, yum!! I went nuts over the zeppole, they were so light and fuffy! I may or may not have had an entire order to myself... I love that Emily watched "the train wreck"

I hope you've been able to spend some quality time with your son before he leaves. I've been thinking about you as the time approaches.

I can completely understand the zeppole obsession now.

Awww thanks Tracy. We leave next weekend to go to Texas to see Chad when he is deployed.

Originally Posted by Pinkgirl

Breakfast at O'Hana looks brill. I think we will give it a try next trip as we are starting to be bored with Chef Mickey.

We hever made it to Via Napoli for our ADR due to the torrential rain. Such a shame as bread alone would have made it worth the visit.

Hi Marie. 'Ohana should be a great character breakfast alternative to Chef Mickey!

Originally Posted by tallen429

I looooove caprese salad and I make it for myself at home all the time.

I've been reading a lot of reviews of Via Napoli lately and I'm dying to try it! Everything looks so fresh and wonderful! It's on my list for my January trip!
(I actually started a pre-trip report which is a first for me! LOL!)

Hi there! I don't think I've seen any bad reviews for Via Napoli. I hope you try it.

I will have to look up your PTR - that is exciting that you are going next month!!!

Originally Posted by jecskc

All caught up !! I really want to do breakfast at Ohana someday. I just know my family would love it !!

Your kids would be so cute posing with Lilo and Stitch!!! Now I need to get caught up with everyones reviews!

Originally Posted by AvasMommy526

As my DD would say........ "mmmmmm, mmmmmm"
Via Napoli looks so yummy! I love Caprese salad, I make it all the time at home and use this delicious balsamic reduction in large quantities! (hey it's fat free lol!)
Obviously, I love me some good pizza so
And zeppoles, I just love! We go to a local churches feast every summer and the little Italian ladies make them right there!

Ok, it's a good thing I made a ressie for us in May because I'm obviously excited for this meal!

I love balsamic too! And YES, fat free! We make almost all of our salads at home with it. My current favorite is broccoili, tomato, cucumber, red onion, parmesan, and avocado with balsamic drizzled over it.

That is awesome that you have had fresh made zeppoles! You made me think... what does it take to make a zeppole?? I googled it and it looks like a rather simple recipe. They even have savory versions that sound amazing. Hmmmmm....

Originally Posted by jabead

I might be a little late getting here, but I'm here now. And I might have awarded you 1000 points if you had not gone light on the yummy chocolate sauce. But I will give you 999, so your total is actually only 999,999.

Hi Barb! I totally deserved to have that point deduction but I will make up for it in my next update!!!

I need to get caught up with your live review thread because I also want to see/ask if you are still planning to go in March. Just curious!

[emmysmommy]

Dismeet x 3, well, 4 if you count me!!
Howdy to GoofySon'sMom, Tracerr00, Wilma-Bride!!

This will be noted in my TR as well but since that is so much farther behind than my DR, I’m including it here.

Originally, I had planned to meet GoofysSonsMom (Vicki) and her family after our lunch at Via Napoli around 3:30pm. Then I saw a text from Jabead (Barb) that Tracerr00 (Tracy) was going to be in Epcot since she and her daughter were having lunch at Chefs de France. We planned to say hi to each other when we were going to be dining at CRT the next day but why not see if she could join our growing group for a Dismeet as well? I asked Barb to send Tracy my number so we could connect. (Barb is the original Dis Ambassador that made this Dining DiserMeet work out so well!!!)

Tracy and Eilee confirmed that they could meet up with us as well!! Then I received a text from Wilma-Bride (Joh) whom we had met several days earlier (along with her husband Gary and son Daniel) asking if we were going to be in Epcot. Not only were we but I wanted her to join our DisMeet as well. She was now confirmed for our 3:30 Dismeet as well! I was super excited that there would be 4 of us Disers getting together at once.

After finishing our Via Napoli lunch we were running a few minutes late since I had to make a pit stop in Morocco and then I stopped to take a photo of some of the lesser seen characters that were out and about for an Epcot version of Characterpalooza (Maxx, Hook, Smee, Piglet, Pooh, Pluto, and a lot of others that were lined up between Italy and America.)

The anticipation of meeting these ladies was rather like going on a blind date and anticipating a great evening yet wondering if you will have anything to talk about or have anything in common. However, the moment I saw the ladies with their grey goose slushies I had no doubts that we were going to have a wonderful time!

We were the last to arrive at the DisMeet and the ladies were already laughing and chatting away – a completely lovely sight!! Since formal introductions were not necessary, we simply went in for the hugs right away! (Yep, I’m a hugger – watch out if you are in my path!) Vicki introduced her son Andrew and husband Jay and Tracy had her beautiful DD, Eilee with her that we met. Joh had left her men behind to play on their own while she met up with us. I introduced Michael and Em to the group and with that we felt like one big party had just started!!

We launched into taking photos right away. Tracy dug out the traveling sausage (look for the back story on this here in her TR) while I remembered to text a photo to Barb for the dining board.

After chatting for a little while we realized we needed to get out of the heat and find a place to sit and chat. We moved our little party over to the pub at Rose & Crown. There were no seats right away but at least it was inside with A/C and cold drinks available.

Look who's on their phone!!

We shared stories of our Dis trip, where we ate, what we drank, life in general and had such a wonderful time. The guys and kids even seemed to tolerate and perhaps enjoy this gathering as well. Emily had a great conversation with Joh and was especially fond of meeting with her and listening to her charming British accent! I asked Michael later what he thought since he doesn’t Dis and didn’t get the whole randomness of meeting “strangers” on vacation before. He said these Dismeets were some of the highlights of the trip! Apparently, him not having to be stuck with me as the sole adult in our party is a positive! So now you know that Michael fully endorses Dismeets as well.

All good things must come to an end and unfortunately, Tracy and Eilee had some coveted fast passes for Soarin’ so they had to leave. Joh left to meet back up with her family and we were going to call it a day since we still had to do laundry and pack but a couple tables opened up so Vicki and her family and my family stayed a while longer to sit and chat. About that time the Piano Lady started to perform. That was fortuitous since Jabead had included on my List of 18 catching a performance by this entertainer. It was the perfect back-drop to our Dismeet that I really enjoyed. And yes, there were a few songs for which we all sang along … doesn’t everyone have to join the chorus for Billy Joel’s Piano Man? That was a lot of fun and I can confirm that Jay knows all the words to that song!

I'm definitely getting points for this one!! Successfully completing task # 7!!

I enjoyed spending time speaking with Andrew as well since he is such an intelligent and centered young man. I was definitely impressed with him and his confidence and maturity. I did try to talk sports with him briefly but when I couldn’t even identify the team logo on his ball cap it was just better to move on to safer subjects like what’s for dinner?

After final hugs and photos we parted ways since we really did have to get some laundry and packing completed and get ready for our Citricos dinner.
It was absolutely amazing to meet all four of these ladies and their families and I am so glad that it worked out!!

Up Next: Citricos

[GoofySon'sMom]

Awww, that made me teary! We did have such a great time! What a joy to meet your family as well as Tracey, Eilee and Joh! I, too, was nervous but it ended up being a true highlight of our trip. Jay and Andrew had a great time as well. I knew Jay would but wasn't sure about Andrew. He ended up having a blast. I felt like I had already known all of you!

Thank you all for a truly wonderful afternoon!

[francis6306]

Laundry?? On VACATION???? I probably should have done some myself, but I just didn't wanna do it!!!

I think Via Napoli will be on my NEXT trip… wait. Haven't I said that about ALL your meals???

[AvasMommy526]

What a wonderful meet!! You all looked like old friends meeting up, I love the Dis!!!

Oh and thank you for that salad, I'm definitely going to try that this week! Do you use shaved Parmesan or grated or both?
I don't believe the zeppoles are too hard to make which makes them even worse the ones they make at our feast have raisins in them, and rolled in sugar! I'm not sure if you're a fan but I think the raisins are a nice addition

[Wills Mom]

Awww the meet looked like such fun! I was on a wedding planning site while we planned our wedding and got very friendly with some of the girls. Now here we are 2 years later and we meet 4 times a year and I consider them to be my best friends! There really isn't anything like finding a bunch of like minded people and building friendships - the internet rocks!
Love the review! Looking forward to your Citricos review!

[Linda67]

What an awesome DIS meet

Such special people all together at the same time and I am proud you chose a British pub to do it !!

[emmysmommy]

Originally Posted by GoofySon'sMom

Awww, that made me teary! We did have such a great time! What a joy to meet your family as well as Tracey, Eilee and Joh! I, too, was nervous but it ended up being a true highlight of our trip. Jay and Andrew had a great time as well. I knew Jay would but wasn't sure about Andrew. He ended up having a blast. I felt like I had already known all of you!

Thank you all for a truly wonderful afternoon!

Awwww Vicki! It was such a pleasure to meet you and your family. The experience exceeded my expectations!

Originally Posted by francis6306

Laundry?? On VACATION???? I probably should have done some myself, but I just didn't wanna do it!!!

I think Via Napoli will be on my NEXT trip… wait. Haven't I said that about ALL your meals???

Ha! When I said "we" need to do laundry, I should clarify... Michael wanted to do laundry. For some odd reason he wanted to clean his clothes before he packed them so that when we got home that chore would be done. At least the villas have washer and dryers otherwise that would not be on my task list!

You have the same disorder that I do... You're easily influenced by dining reviews! I have a list of 40 places I still want to try with about 152 dishes! I definitely need more trips to be planned.

Originally Posted by AvasMommy526

What a wonderful meet!! You all looked like old friends meeting up, I love the Dis!!!

Oh and thank you for that salad, I'm definitely going to try that this week! Do you use shaved Parmesan or grated or both?
I don't believe the zeppoles are too hard to make which makes them even worse the ones they make at our feast have raisins in them, and rolled in sugar! I'm not sure if you're a fan but I think the raisins are a nice addition

It was a fantastic afternoon with those ladies and their families!!

For that salad I use the grated parm in a tub but fresh shaved would be even better. I'm just too lazy to shave it.

That's it, I'm not even going to start making zeppoles... it could lead to a bad habit!

Originally Posted by Wills Mom

Awww the meet looked like such fun! I was on a wedding planning site while we planned our wedding and got very friendly with some of the girls. Now here we are 2 years later and we meet 4 times a year and I consider them to be my best friends! There really isn't anything like finding a bunch of like minded people and building friendships - the internet rocks!
Love the review! Looking forward to your Citricos review!

Hi there Wills Mom! Thanks for stopping by - all the way from Ireland - and thanks for your kind words.

That is so awesome that you stay in touch with the ladies from your wedding planning site. That is definitely a life-bonding experience!

I plan to post my Citricos review momentarily!

Originally Posted by Linda67

What an awesome DIS meet

Such special people all together at the same time and I am proud you chose a British pub to do it !!

Hi Linda!! Thanks! I count you amoung those special Dismeet friends! And I have the mug to prove what a fabulous meet it was! You never know... the pub could be a dismeet spot in Oct/Nov for those who may be planning a land/sea holiday ...

[emmysmommy]

Citricos Dinner

We had a 9:15ADR at Citricos in the Grand Floridian. While taking the monorail from the CR to the GF we were able to view some of the fireworks for the last time this trip. So beautiful but I didn’t have time to really be sentimental since we were in-transit and hurrying to get checked into our dinner.

This was the 3rd time Em and I had dined at Citricos, obviously Michael’s first. Even though it had been about 5 hours since lunch I still wasn’t feeling well in the tummy. I had eaten too much and hadn’t recovered to fully enjoy this evening; therefore, by the time we were seated and handed menus I was pretty sure I wasn’t going to be able to eat much of anything. However, I really wanted to see Michael enjoy this place since it is one of my favorites.

Table and fresh flower:

Gwen was our server and she was the Mary Poppins of service. She was calm, efficient, knowledgeable, and practically perfect in every way. She had that cool and prim manner about her – you knew you were going to have a great dining experience with her taking care of you.

Regular water - served in a cool bottle:

For starters Michael decided to order the panadas and the macerated tomato salad. I didn’t try either so I don’t have an opinion on either but they both looked really delicious. Michael sang the praises of every dish here at Citricos so without providing any details I can share his candid opinion that it was very good.

Panadas; Spiced and Slow Cooked Beef in Phyllo with Tamarind Sauce: $12

Macerated Heirloom Tomatoes; with Mozzarella, Micro Basil, House Made Garlic & Pecorino Breadstick, Balsamic Glaze, Arbequina Olive Oil: $14

Gwen provided a basket of multigrain and olive bread with salted butter. I’m a huge fan of the olive bread and I did manage to eat a slice and practically fill myself up with that. Uh oh!

Basket of Olive and Multigrain Bread with Salted Butter:

For our entrees, Michael and Emily both ordered the Braised Veal Shank. I seriously couldn’t find anything on the menu that appealed to me or more importantly sounded like it was light enough to not cause more damage to my already impaired stomach. Gwen suggested a bowl of children’s chicken noodle soup – upgraded to adult size. (I should have just gone with the kid size portion but I just said yes when she made the suggestion.)

When we were served the main course, Michael and Em both appeared excited about the dish that was set before them. The veal was served with roasted zucchini and peppers and mashed carrot-potatoes. Not only did this dish look amazing, Em declared it beyond brilliant!

Braised Veal Shank; Carrot-Potato Mash, Roasted Vegetables, and Toasted Citrus Gremolata: $53

As for my chicken noodle soup, the highlight was the adorable Mickey head pasta. It was made with white meat chicken and plenty of diced onion, carrots and celery. Honestly, I didn’t eat much so I don’t want to cast judgment on this poor soup when I just wasn’t feeling like eating anything.

Chicken Noodle Soup with Mickey Pasta – Adult Portion: $9

Dessert menus were offered and both Em and Michael found something that appealed to them. Em went with something that on any other trip I would have indulged in, the chocolate banana torte. Michael ordered the tasting of gelato which was a sample of three different gelatos.

Em liked the torte but it wasn’t as exciting and magnificent as it looked. She tasted the chocolate flair decoration and by her description, it was more for looks that intended to taste good.

Warm Chocolate-Banana Torte; with Vanilla Ice-Cream and Handcrafted Belgium Couverture Chocolate Crown: $11

Michael enjoyed his gelato sampling that was arranged in a cone holder - so adorable! The most I got out of Michael for describing this dessert was that it was cold and yummy. So there you have a description that is worthy of the finest dining reviews!

Tasting of Gelato; featuring Italian Vanilla Bean, Cappuccino, and Raspberry: $9

The bill was $172.33 which included $33.40 in TiW savings.

By the time we left the restaurant it was nearly 11pm and MK had closed nearly 2 hours earlier so the monorail was not running. We had to take a taxi back to the Contemporary Resort.

Despite my lack of participation in this fine meal, it is still a favorite and I was very glad that Michael and Emily loved it. We will definitely return and I look forward to trying the panadas and the braised beef ribs and perhaps a tropical fruit crème brulee.

Next Up: Final meal at WDW - CRT breakfast.

[Roma]

I have gotten a little behind on your reviews, Brenda! For shame!

I'm so happy to see you had a nice experience at Artist Point. It was by far Mr. Roma's and my favorite dining experience on our trip.

I booked and then canceled the 'Ohana breakfast for our trip... I kinda hate Stitch . But I think we will definitely try it next time. I'm not sure Mr. Roma loves the breakfast buffets but he is a breakfast man so I think 'Ohana is a nice compromise!

Via Napoli is a must do for us next time. However, I think I will heed your warning and limit myself to one piece. I too have a stomach with very little stretching capacity!

Of course I LOVE the fact that you got to meet all those wonderful ladies!

So sorry that you were still feeling ick before Citricos . It really sucks to look forward to something for so long only to have it ruined by prior overeating .

[Linda67]

Well don't you all look so glamorous for your Citricos dinner

Love the photo of the three of you together

Shame you didn't feel up to eating much Brenda as everything looked really good; sounds like you had a great evening anyway