16 Day Spring Break! I'm An Adult, I Do What I Want ;) *Update 8/17 Complete!

[lizzyb]

Joining in!

 

[pumba]

Last May my magic band didnt like me either..couldnt get into the park (they would scan it on a hand held device) and then I couldnt get into our room..and then couldnt use it on fast pass...finally after the second day I was getting upset...a nice cast member at the studios made it ok..but then it didnt work for my room..so had to get it changed at the front desk..OY OY OY....
We like Port Orleans too..but only French Quarter because the TIW card isnt good for Riverside...at the food court...oh well...we do like the benefits ..thanks for your reviews so far..looking forward to more

 

[TinkerbellM6]

I'm here!! Super pumped to read after being teased by your Instagram/Facebook pics. The Royal Room is gorgeous!! I am so intrigued by Port Orleans and all the hype surrounding it. I think I might have to schedule some time on my next trip to check it out. There's a boat that runs to DTD from there I think.

 

[jerseytinkerbell]

Yay! Can't wait , love your TR's..

Thanks so much! Excited to kick off another one!

I'm in I always enjoy your reviews. Very informative and great pictures.

Thank you! So glad you enjoy my reviews!

Awesome review so far! Thanks for sharing.

Thank you very much! Much more still to come!

Yay so glad you started your review! I loved following you guys on IG during your trip. It looks like the first day was a success with the exception of the magicband door issue. I agree with your the grapefruit beer does taste better on draft. The sell is at my local grocery store so whenever I want to pretend I am back at Epcot I buy a little 4 pack of it

Thanks Lori! I was glad you followed along with me on IG. Other than some MagicBand drama, which wasn't even that dramatic, it was an awesome first day. I love when my local liquor store has Schofferhofer in stock. Like you said, it transports you to Epcot.

Followed along on Instagram--anxious to see more pics and detailed reviews. We are leaving in 15 days for a quick 5 day trip, DH has a convention and my daughter and I are tagging along. So excited for our first Flower and Garden Fest !!
Loving your first installment

Thanks for following along on IG as well! That's awesome that you get to be there for F&G for the first time. It has quickly become my favorite time of year to be in WDW. Hope you guys have a blast!

I'm in! Excited to read more!

Thanks for joining in!

Hey stranger. I'm so here. And 16 days!!!!!!!!!!! So infinitely jealous.

Can't believe all the room drama you had, but at least you didn't have to switch rooms the next day.

All the flower and garden food looks great. You're giving me a bit of a preview as we'll be there in a weeks and get to try it for the first time. The burnt ends and jerk grouper are high on my list. As is grapefruit beer as always ; )

Can't wait for more....

Hey there! I was super thankful that we didn't have to switch rooms after that first night. Plus, since they put us in a Royal Room that night instead of the King room, which was cheaper, I essentially got like a $30 discount on the room on top of my AP discount I already got. So, I can't complain too much.

So excited that you get to go to F&G for the first time! I highly recommend the burnt ends, the grouper, the lemon scone from Ciderhouse, the shrimp taco from Mexico and the pork dish from Urban Eats. All amazing!

I am in...always love your reviews! We are headed to WDW in three weeks and I can't wait to try some of the above!

Thanks for joining in with me again for this DR. I hope you enjoy your time at F&G later this month!

Joining in!!

Welcome!

I am SO excited for this! I'm the one who stalked your instagram asking if you were going to do one! (DisneyDarlingVSG is my username)

Hey there! So glad that you followed along on IG! Super excited to write this DR. So much good food!

I am in! Since DS and I had to move our trip from March to May, it will help me pass the days! My fear though is your reviews will make me change what I have called my "final" plans for our trip! LOL Make ADRs for DH and my October's trip on April 23rd so maybe I can change the plans I only right now have in my mind and leave the May trip alone!

Cannot wait for more!

Bummer that you had to push the trip back, but at least you won't have to deal with the super crazy spring break crowds.

I hear ya. I think I only kept two reservations from my own 'final' plan. I kept moving stuff around like crazy. We were so full from lunch this trip that we just couldn't do dinner buffets I had planned, so they kept getting bumped and bumped and bumped until I canceled them. But that's exciting that you have another trip to plan for! We have a very vague plan in motion to come for a few days during F&W in November as long as DH can hang onto the rest of his vacation days. I'm not holding my breath for that though.

Looks like a great start to a nice, long vacation!

Hey there! It definitely was. We needed this long trip to break away from the real world.

Great start! Looking forward to reading more about your adventures!

Thanks for joining in!

Hi, Jeri! Welcome back. Love your reviews. 16 nights sounds like HEAVEN



I loved that burnt ends hash last year I need to try it again this month. So glad they brought it back.

I have friends that love that bubble tea but the "luke warm chunky milk" description sounds about right hahahaha. I think I will stick to the Schofferhofer too.. can't go wrong there. I agree, much better in draft form.. we have it locally as bottles or giant cans and it's good but not the same as a nice cold draft in fake Germany!



Ooooooooh now I may need to try this!!


I just looked at your Instagram pics and it made me even more excited for Trails End breakfast in a few weeks

Thanks so much! 16 nights was definitely heaven. I wish I could go back in time and do it all again.

I'm glad they brought the hash back as well. Hopefully that one stays in the rotation for awhile. Oh that tea was just yuck. I don't get it at all. I can find Schofferhofer locally sometimes but not always. The cans would be nice! Every once in awhile I get a pack of skunky bottles which is always a bummer. That's why you can't beat that draft beer!

The cupcake was definitely awesome! I recommend it.

Trail's End breakfast is AMAZING!!! I was super sad that we missed out on dinner there this trip, but we were always too full at night for a BBQ buffet.

 

[jerseytinkerbell]

Ooh! I follow you on IG and I was hoping you would do a TR!

Awesome! Thanks for joining me on IG and the DIS!

Joining in! That chocolate cake does look much better than the Piggylicious cupcake. DH and I tried that last year....sounded so much better than it tasted

Welcome! It is so much better than that weird bacon cupcake. Like you said, it sounded better than it tasted.

Hurrah! I always love your reports and 16 days of yumminess sounds incredible!! Kudos to you for driving! That is a lot of time in the car!! Ugh on all the magic band issues. I guess I've just been lucky with my bands. And now that I've said that I have probably doomed myself to issues next time!

All the food you tried looks and sounds great. Ewww on the tea.

Can't wait for more!!

Thanks for joining in with me again! Oh, that drive is just too much. It breaks your spirit by the end of it. It always feels completely surreal to check in at the hotel after you arrive because you feel like you're never going to get there.

Yeah I think you just jinxed yourself on the MagicBand.

enjoyed reading your review with pictures.

Thanks so much!

 

[jerseytinkerbell]

Joining in!

Thanks for joining in!

Last May my magic band didnt like me either..couldnt get into the park (they would scan it on a hand held device) and then I couldnt get into our room..and then couldnt use it on fast pass...finally after the second day I was getting upset...a nice cast member at the studios made it ok..but then it didnt work for my room..so had to get it changed at the front desk..OY OY OY....
We like Port Orleans too..but only French Quarter because the TIW card isnt good for Riverside...at the food court...oh well...we do like the benefits ..thanks for your reviews so far..looking forward to more

Ughhh that sounds like way more trouble than I had. When the MagicBands work they are awesome, but when they don't they are a hassle.

The acceptance of TiW is definitely a deal breaker sometimes. It made a difference for me at the end of our trip on where we would eat.

I'm here!! Super pumped to read after being teased by your Instagram/Facebook pics. The Royal Room is gorgeous!! I am so intrigued by Port Orleans and all the hype surrounding it. I think I might have to schedule some time on my next trip to check it out. There's a boat that runs to DTD from there I think.

Yay! So glad you're joining in! I really love Port Orleans. Both French Quarter and Riverside. When we don't have enough DVC points to stay at a DVC resort I think we will stay at Port Orleans every time from now on. There is a boat that runs from DTD to Port Orleans and it's a really nice ride. And once you get to one resort it's an easy walk between the two.

 

[DisneyJo]

Can't wait to read all about your trip

 

[momof3princes]

Joining in! I followed your trip on IG (I am kls625) 16 days sounds amazing! Other than the Magic Band drama it sounds like you are off to a great start! Looking forward to reading all about it!!

 

[happy2012]

Hi Jerri I'm joining in! I've see some of your guys pics on Instagram, I'm looking forward to the review!! I'd love to try to drive to WDW (from PA) but my DH won't! So I get that w/ u & the hub. BTW I'm Maurasinwonderland on IG

 

[dixonsontour]

Great start

 

[Hootiss]

Looking forward to all your reviews!!

 

[Deanie1]

Count me in, too! I loved reading your last trip report. Why, oh why do I always go to dining reviews while I am dieting, I don't know. That little chocolate morsel is calling my name.

 

[jerseytinkerbell]

Can't wait to read all about your trip

Thanks for joining in!

Joining in! I followed your trip on IG (I am kls625) 16 days sounds amazing! Other than the Magic Band drama it sounds like you are off to a great start! Looking forward to reading all about it!!

Thanks for following along on IG and joining in again for this DR! It was a great start to a great trip!

Hi Jerri I'm joining in! I've see some of your guys pics on Instagram, I'm looking forward to the review!! I'd love to try to drive to WDW (from PA) but my DH won't! So I get that w/ u & the hub. BTW I'm Maurasinwonderland on IG

Hey there! Thanks for joining in again this DR! And thanks for joining in on IG as well! I wish I was with him on the driving. This time the drive down was maybe our most stress free one ever. We encounter an issue on the way home, but the way down, I must admit, was not bad.

Great start

Thank you!

Looking forward to all your reviews!!

Thanks so much for joining in!

Count me in, too! I loved reading your last trip report. Why, oh why do I always go to dining reviews while I am dieting, I don't know. That little chocolate morsel is calling my name.

Thanks so much! I'm glad you are joining me again for this DR. Dieting and reading DRs are always a disaster.

 

[jerseytinkerbell]

After a great evening at Epcot we caught a bus back to the resort and stopped at the Riverside Mill Food Court. They had some really great quick service options here. Rob and I joined two separate lines and once we had our order we took our food on the short walk over the bridge and back to our room. It was probably less than a 5 minute walk from the food court to our room. Not bad at all.

Rob had the Roast Beef Melt on an onion kaiser roll with House-made Chips.



He loved the sandwich and for some reason was really over the moon about the chips. This picture represents maybe 40% of the chips he originally had since he ate most of them on the walk back to the room.

He also got a slice of cheesecake which they offered to drizzle with chocolate sauce. He happily agreed to the chocolate sauce as you can see.



I took advantage of something I had been wanting to try forever. The create your own pasta station. I always see people talk about it on here and I have always wanted to try it. I went with penne pasta, alfredo sauce, shrimp, peas, sun dried tomatoes and mushrooms. They topped it all off with a bread stick.



This was everything I hoped for an more! There was sooooo much shrimp in here it was insane. The bowl felt like it weighed 10 pounds with all of the food they put in this. You had an option of penne or fettuccini noodles, marinara or alfredo sauce, chicken or shrimp and then so many different veggies options like tomatoes, broccoli, spinach and my chosen options above. Then someone cooked it fresh to order right in front of you. It was so good. And for $11.49 it was a bargain with all of the shrimp I got. I may need to stay at POR more often just for this pasta station.

Our first day was a success. We did a lot for two people who just drove 15 hours. Ans to think this was our last minute add on bonus day.

Oh, and on this trip I kept track of our steps according to my iPhone and our TiW and AP savings. No TiW today, but I did save a couple dollars on the Passholder F&G pin I bought and we walked 11,904 steps. Good thing. Have to burn that pasta off!

 

[jerseytinkerbell]

The next day we had to decide what we were going to do. This was originally supposed to be our arrival day and the itinerary was going to be what we had just done the night before, so we had the day wide open to possibilities. We decided the night before to just sleep in and take the day from there. And sleep we did! Rob fell asleep the night before around 9:30pm and didn't wake up until 8am. Little Sleeping Beauty. But in all fairness, we get home from work every day at 1am and our dog wakes him up throughout the morning, every morning, starting around 5:30am, so he deserves some restful sleep this trip. I was up around 7:30am and got a good solid 8 hours of sleep, so we were ready to get in some adventures!

I used the MDE app (which I LOVE) to make a breakfast reservation at one of my favorite spots in the whole world. Kona Cafe at the Polynesian!



Since I drove us there to save lots of transportation switcharoos, I had to make a reservation since they won't let you park at Poly unless you are staying or dining the resort with a reservation. We ended up arriving quite a bit before our reservation time and the restaurant was pretty busy, but we were still seated right away which was nice.



We started our breakfast here the same way we always do. 100% Kona Coffee French Press Pot and Liliko'i Juice which is a Orange, Passion Fruit, and Guava blend.



Enjoying my coffee.



Sitting there drinking that coffee is a slice of heaven. I just can't even describe the feeling.

For our meal Rob actually surprised me and got the Big Kahuna. French Toast, Pancakes topped with Pineapple Sauce and Macadamia Nut Butter, Eggs, Home-fried Potatoes, Ham, Bacon, and Sausage.



He loved it all except he said the french toast was pretty plain, which is exactly my feeling about that breakfast as well. I always stop myself from ordering it again because of the french toast. I am pretty sure this was his first time trying the pancakes here as well and he was definitely a fan.

I went back and forth and in the end I went with an old favorite. The Tonga Toast. Banana-stuffed Sourdough French Toast rolled in Cinnamon Sugar and served with a Strawberry Compote and your choice of Ham, Bacon, or Sausage. I went with the bacon.



The delicious banana filled center.



This was so good, as always. It is super filling though and I left a decent amount behind, which is shameful.

The food was great, service was good and quick but not at all memorable.

I was so glad we had breakfast here so early in the trip. We walked around Poly for a few and got back in the car and I drove us back to the resort to head off on a new first for us this trip.

 

[FoundNemoLostDori]

That tonga toast looks amazing! So does the cheesecake at Riverside. I'll definitely be trying that!

 

[jerseytinkerbell]

Once we were back at POR we took the boat service to DTD, I mean Disney Springs, which is a really nice alternative to the bus. It was a beautiful day for a ride on the water. Our boat actually stalled out and then restarted on our way to POFQ, so once we arrived we had to switch to a different boat before heading the Springs. This was all done pretty seamlessly I must say. Once we were there we made our way to a location that has been open for a short time and is brand new to us. We were so insanely excited to check out Jock Lindsey's Hangar Bar!





We got there shortly after opening time at 11:30am and the place was empty. We had our pick of where to sit. I loved this cool seating area.



I tried to get Rob to sit there, but he prefers to sit at the bar in places like this, so I let him win this one.





After checking out the Pilot's Log Book, aka the menu, we were ready to order some drinks!



I liked that with this menu they gave you a breakdown of all the prices of the drinks with and without the souvenir glass for the ones that had that option. They also had some light fare, but we weren't hungry.

I started with Reggie's Revenge. Florida Cane 'Orlando Orange' Vodka, Midori Melon Liqueur, White Cranberry Juice, and fresh Lime Juice.



This is what they pour it from which would bubble up and fizz frequently, which was pretty cool.





This was delicious! It was my favorite drink here. Rob had a sip and liked it a lot too. You got to keep the snake, but I also bought the glass it came with. I think the glass and the drink was around $18.

Rob's first drink was the Anything Goes. Byejoe dragon fire spirit, fresh Lime Juice, Passion Fruit, and Pineapple Juice.



I wish the glass looked like the one in the picture. I will absolutely buy that if they ever have it in the future.



You can see the remnants of us opening the 9 zillion packs of deeply discounted Lego Simpsons characters we bought right before this, which we collect from the Lego Store.

He really liked this drink a lot. I had a sip and I wasn't a fan, but as long as he liked it, that's all that matters.

Cheers!


Next I had the drink I was super pumped about. The Cool Headed Monkey! Starr African Rum, Van Der Hum Tangerine Liqueur, fresh Lime Juice, Watermelon, and Pineapple Juice





So cool! Temple of Doom was one of my favorite movies ever as a kid. And an adult.

This drink was good, but the watermelon kind of overwhelmed the other flavors. I did buy this glass as well. The glass with the drink was a steep $22.50 if I recall correctly, but I will say that the glass is super quality. It is really heavy even though it doesn't look like it in the picture. I thought for sure it was going to be plastic. I drink out of it almost every day at home, so it's a win.

Rob's second drink was the Wrong Island. Siesta Key Silver Rum, Tito's Handmade Vodka, Tamiami Gin, Tippler's Orange Liqueur, and Sweet-and-Sour with a splash of Coca-Cola. I cute little play on the Long Island Iced Tea.





He loved, loved, loved this drink. He raved about it the whole trip. I thought it was disgusting.

He also had a Japanese beer, a Kirin Ichiban Lager.



He didn't care for the beer and said it tasted cheap like malt liquor.

Sadly they do not accept AP discount or TiW here, which was kind of a bummer. Oh, and also no artifacts taken as payment. They had to make a rule about that.



We had a great time here. The drinks were delicious, the prices without the souvenir glasses really weren't that bad, most drinks were under $10, and the service was great. Definitely a fun place to hang out. I think the fact that it is related to the Indiana Jones universe is totally lost on people because we never saw it get busy here (at a bar.. on spring break) during our trip and we also saw quite a few people walk in thinking it was a restaurant, look through the menu and quickly leave. Great concept, but unless you are a diehard Disney fan who reads the blogs and things like that, the average vacationer walks right on by this place. I wish I had walked around more and taken in some of the cool stuff set up all throughout the bar. There was so much to look at. We will definitely make this place a must-do every trip.

 

[princessemsmom]

Love your report so far! We stay at POR in a Royal Room as well and love it (this year we are going to split stay so we can try YC CL also). This is getting me very excited for our trip coming up!

 

[Kristina685]

Joining in as well! Love all the pictures so far!!

 

[chocolateMinnie]

Is the Hangar Bar adults only or do they serve food too? My kids would love the theming (14 and 18 not little ones)