"No One's Gloomy or Complaining"-in DISNEY WORLD!~A Nov. TR!*UPDATE 6/11, pg 42!*

[Aussiesalad]

Wow goat cheese polenta sounds beyond amazing!!

You're right, we need to have more Zurg presence in the parks! A parking lot is not enough!

Awh those are such pretty pictures of the castle!!

AHHH 19 days!!!

[wdwgirl03]

OMG the dream lights!!!! I can't wait to see these again in December!

Yay for 19 days (did I mention I'm jealous?! haha)! I totally hear ya on the location. I seriously cannot wait for April so we can wake up for 7 am EMH and just WALK over there.

[amazingact21]

Isn't it nice to go back to a restaurant and get a dish and it ends up being as delicious as you'd remembered it? Between your reviews of CG and Le Cellier, I have got to try some of these places.


Yay for making it to MK in time to see Wishes! Watching the show with all the holiday lights is the best, it just adds this extra touch of magic.

I can't wait to hear about your EMH. I know one of my favorite moments of all time on a Disney trip was walking past the Castle when its lights were on at, like, 1 o'clock in the morning and the hub was completely empty.

[Disney9.9.10]

CG sounds wonderful! I think that DH and I are going to try to make an ADR for our next trip. I only recently tried polenta, and it is delicious, but it wasn't goat cheese polenta! That sounds fantastic!

Great photos of Wishes and the castle! It is so beautiful at Christmas time, all lit up

[kittylady1972]

Yummmm...we love Cali Grill too. We haven't been back there for the last few trips but I am hoping to return there when the refurb is done. We also like the sushi and I might have to try that dish you had now as it sounds YUMMY!

Great photos! I can't believe your next trip is so close! How exciting!

I'll just be going through Disney withdrawal here. Right now our next family trip will probably be Thanksgiving 2014 but I am still thinking about a return trip in October for our 15-year wedding anniversary with Food and Wine!

[khertz]

Beautiful MK pics!! That park is so beautiful at night anyway, but throw in the Castle Dream Lights and the Christmas decorations and I'm crazy about it!! There's just nothing like WDW at Christmastime. And WISHES!!! Great photos! Definitely my favorite fireworks show.

Great update!

[hobbs6799]

I am new to the DIS boards, but I am having so much fun reading everyone's trip reviews.

We are going in October and you have me so excited for F&W and we have a RGR at POR booked so you have me SUPER excited for that now.

Great review so far!!!!

[jecskc]

YAY for an update !!! I am so jealous you get to go back so soon. We go back in 59 days. Not too bad. We can't wait !!!

[starousse]

I'm loving your trip report.

[Nermel9]

Originally Posted by ronnmel

I love love love your castle and Wishes pictures!!!!! So absolutely gorgeous.

Thank you!

Originally Posted by SoNotAPrincess

Oh, yum, Cali Grill! I've never had the polenta, but after the way you described it, it is officially on my Disney bucket list.

I miss Spectro, too. It makes me so sad to think there's a whole generation of people who have never seen it and may never get to experience it. BRING IT BACK!

Awesome castle photos! I am so in love with the dream lights!

It is SO good! Isn't Cali Grill being refurbed now? I hope they don't change the menu too much!

I know, I am going through some Spectro withdrawl!

Thank you! The dream lights are amazing!

Originally Posted by jenseib

We were watching on the tomorrowland bridge if I remember right! It was beautiful.

Wasn't it crazy that night for Wishes? Luckily a lot of people left right after that, but getting through that crowd was ridiculous!

Originally Posted by KatMark

Your pork looks delicious. Now that I've got Mark to try a signature restaurant, maybe I can get California Grill on his radar in a few years (although I'll definitely be passing up the polenta with goat cheese and the sushi).

You got some absolutely beautiful pictures of the castle all lit up and Wishes...very well done.

It really was! I would like to try something else at Cali Grill, but the pork and polenta is just too good! You don't like goat cheese? I don't like it by itself, but when it's mixed with something, I like it!

Thank you!

Originally Posted by marDgreen88

EWWWW is that Vinyl the Pleasure Island guy from Pinocchio? He's pretty freaking creepy.

Hahah I just made pork tenderloin for dinner but I'm guessing that the one from Cali Grill is better? Hahahha! Looks amazing! Brandon's sushi looks wonderful too!

Seriously, castle dream lights and Wishes pictures just never get old. So so so so so beautiful!!!

I have no idea who that guy is! I didn't even trade him, I have him with my other Vinyls but he's wayyy in the back so I can't see him...I'm bringing him when I go back to trade him! Sorry buddy!

Haha, I'm sure your pork tenderloin was fantastic! Brandon is annoying, he never wants to have pork for dinner so the only time I ever have it now is in Disney! I can't just make myself a whole pork tenderloin! (Sorry, pork rant over! )

Every time I go to Disney I tell myself not to take pictures during Wishes and just watch, and I can't do it! Maybe this next trip I'll just watch and enjoy it for once, because I think I have enough pictures for a while!

[Nermel9]

Originally Posted by Dugette

Your CA Grill meal looks pretty good. All those pictures of the castle with the dream lights get me so excited for our December trip! Beautiful!

It was, I love Cali Grill! Yay for December trips! I might be going that month too!

Originally Posted by MEK

I love that last Wishes picture - its beautiful!

I love the Christmas lights on the castle - so pretty!

Your Cali Grill meals look so super yummy, especially the sushi!

Yeah for 19 days!

So - why didn't you guys just park at the Contemporary? Were you afraid you would be leaving your car too long?

Great update!

Thank you! It's my new FB cover picture!

I know, I wish they had them year round! It's going to be strange seeing the castle with no lights in a few weeks!

It was really yummy! The surf and turf sushi was amazing! And Brandon is obsessed with that spicy one, he talks about it all the time!

Yeah, I thought you only had a 3 hour limit at the CR when you parked for dinner? Isn't that the one resort that's really strict about parking? I don't mind parking at MK, gives me an excuse to ride the monorail!

Originally Posted by Stringbean&Wingnut

Yummmm California Grill!! Your meal there looks so good! I've never tried the goat cheese polenta, but it sounds awesome!

The castle does look so pretty all lit up and sparkly like that!

It was SO good! That polenta is seriously my favorite Disney food, other than cheddar cheese soup at Le Cellier!

Isn't the castle so beautiful with all of the lights? I miss it!

Originally Posted by Aussiesalad

Wow goat cheese polenta sounds beyond amazing!!

You're right, we need to have more Zurg presence in the parks! A parking lot is not enough!

Awh those are such pretty pictures of the castle!!

AHHH 19 days!!!

It IS amazing!!! I'm pretty sure the recipe is online somewhere, I'm thinking of trying to make it, although I'm guessing it won't be nearly as good as the Disney version!

Haha, we definitely need more Zurg! Although he is in that Buzz ride in MK...I just usually skip that ride because I'm terrible at it!

Thank you!

I KNOW! I can't believe I'm going back so soon!!!

[Nermel9]

Originally Posted by wdwgirl03

OMG the dream lights!!!! I can't wait to see these again in December!

Yay for 19 days (did I mention I'm jealous?! haha)! I totally hear ya on the location. I seriously cannot wait for April so we can wake up for 7 am EMH and just WALK over there.

I know, I can't wait to see them again too! It just makes the castle extra magical!

I'm SO excited for Bay Lake Tower! I feel like I'm never going to want to stay anywhere else, either there or an Epcot resort, because the location is going to be SO fantastic!!!

Originally Posted by amazingact21

Isn't it nice to go back to a restaurant and get a dish and it ends up being as delicious as you'd remembered it? Between your reviews of CG and Le Cellier, I have got to try some of these places.

Yay for making it to MK in time to see Wishes! Watching the show with all the holiday lights is the best, it just adds this extra touch of magic.

I can't wait to hear about your EMH. I know one of my favorite moments of all time on a Disney trip was walking past the Castle when its lights were on at, like, 1 o'clock in the morning and the hub was completely empty.

OMG yes, you have to try Le Cellier and Cali Grill! They are both so good! Although I'm kind of mad at LC for being 2 credits at lunch now and changing the menu...

I'm so glad we got to see Wishes that night, it was perfect! And the dream lights are so beautiful!

We had a great time at EMH, but sadly, we didn't make it to the end! We were just SO tired! But we made it pretty far! Hoping to do the next update maybe tonight or tomorrow, I want to get moving with this TR!

Originally Posted by Disney9.9.10

CG sounds wonderful! I think that DH and I are going to try to make an ADR for our next trip. I only recently tried polenta, and it is delicious, but it wasn't goat cheese polenta! That sounds fantastic!

Great photos of Wishes and the castle! It is so beautiful at Christmas time, all lit up

It IS wonderful! You should definitely try Cali Grill sometime! I've never had polenta before I went to CG in May, and it is really good!

Thank you! Christmas is the best time to go to Disney, so magical!

Originally Posted by kittylady1972

Yummmm...we love Cali Grill too. We haven't been back there for the last few trips but I am hoping to return there when the refurb is done. We also like the sushi and I might have to try that dish you had now as it sounds YUMMY!

Great photos! I can't believe your next trip is so close! How exciting!

I'll just be going through Disney withdrawal here. Right now our next family trip will probably be Thanksgiving 2014 but I am still thinking about a return trip in October for our 15-year wedding anniversary with Food and Wine!

I'm nervous about the refurb! I hope they don't change the menu!!!

Thank you! I know, I cannot believe it!

Haha, don't worry, when I get back, I'll be going through that withdrawal with you! I'm hoping to go back in December, but who knows if that will really happen! If it doesn't, I might attempt a little Food and Wine solo weekend trip, but we'll see! Still too far away to really know anything!

[Nermel9]

Originally Posted by khertz

Beautiful MK pics!! That park is so beautiful at night anyway, but throw in the Castle Dream Lights and the Christmas decorations and I'm crazy about it!! There's just nothing like WDW at Christmastime. And WISHES!!! Great photos! Definitely my favorite fireworks show.

Great update!

Thank you! MK is so perfect at night, but you're right, the Christmas decorations and lights make it even more magical! I can't wait to go back, hopefully in December for more Christmas at Disney! I'm obsessed!!

I love Wishes and Illuminations equally I think, they are both so different and yet filled with Disney magic! I could watch each one multiple times during one trip!

Originally Posted by hobbs6799

I am new to the DIS boards, but I am having so much fun reading everyone's trip reviews.

We are going in October and you have me so excited for F&W and we have a RGR at POR booked so you have me SUPER excited for that now.

Great review so far!!!!

Yay, welcome to the DIS! Thanks for reading!

Yay, October is such a great time to go to Disney! There is nothing better than the Food and Wine festival, it's amazing! And you are going to love that royal room at POR, so magical!

Thank you!

Originally Posted by jecskc

YAY for an update !!! I am so jealous you get to go back so soon. We go back in 59 days. Not too bad. We can't wait !!!

Wow, 59 days, that's so close! Yay!!!

Originally Posted by starousse

I'm loving your trip report.

Thank you so much!

[ronnmel]

I think I read that on the updated menu the pork will become pork two ways, and that the polenta is staying. I'm not 100% sure though.

[Li Li]

A Disney Hotels blog or newsletter had a post one time with a recipe for the CG goat cheese polenta and I copied down the recipe. If anyone is interested, here it is. I tried it and I think it turned out pretty good!

Goat Cheese Polenta

1 cup diced white onion
1 head garlic, diced and sautéed
2 1/2 cups water
2 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 cups polenta (less if you prefer a softer texture)
1 cup Asiago cheese, grated
4 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh herbs-equal parts thyme, rosemary, sage, and chives (if using dried herbs, cut proportions in half).
Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste
Sauté onion in a small amount of olive oil until transparent. Stir in garlic, then add water, milk and cream and bring to a boil. Whisk in polenta slowly, stirring until thick and bubbling. Continue to stir and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat and let thicken for 5 minutes.

Pour mixture into a pan and bake at 275 degrees for 25 minutes. Remove from oven and fold in cheeses and herbs. Add salt and pepper and serve it up! This is a great side dish to serve with pork tenderloin and asparagus.