999 Meals, But There's Room for 1,000 - An April 2016 Dining Report - Complete/New DR Link - 10/16

[kastoney]

I love your reviews and I'm along for the ride!

Terri

Thanks Terri. Hope you enjoy!

I love your theme here and of course you fab sense of humor! Can't wait to read all about it Kari

Hi Lori!!!!! Glad you're here and all that entails ; )

I'm glad that I discovered your new trip report. I can't wait to hear all about your trip. We went to WDW during the same time in April last year.

Hey Sue! This was our first April trip and I must say I definitely liked it. The crowds were a bit more than we are used to (we're typically Jan/Feb or Sep people) but I must say the weather was utter perfection. Blue skies and no humidity almost every day. I didn't even know that existed in Florida.

Love, love, love! I've been waiting for this one

Following along excitedly!

Welcome Lindsey!! Glad you're here and aren't you do for a trip yourself sometime soon?????

Awesome! I'm here! Can't wait for the food porn!

Hi Su-Lynn. Glad your here for the food porn and there will definitely be some Star Wars porn for you my SW yoda too

Hurray! I'm so here!!!!!!!!!!!

Welcome. Glad to have you again.

Hello Kari. Nice to see another report from you! I remember one or two little tips I gave you in your last report, so I am interested to see how things went. I hope your Newfoundlands are doing well

Greetings friend from the great white north. I just may have employed one or two of those tips (carrot cake cookie I'm looking at you)

And thanks for asking my newfies are doing well and getting ready for their summer hibernation. They're getting older (8 and 9) but haven't lost too much spring in their step.

Yay another Kari DR! Can't wait to hear all about it (and what you thought of WL - I'll be there in October!)

Oh and Casey's running outfit is probably the coolest thing ever!

I'm sure I'll splice some in, but we love Wilderness Lodge. This was our 3rd stay and even with construction it didn't disappoint. We love that it feels like you truly are in the wilderness and away from the insanity that is Disney, yet only a boat ride away from MK. Of course you can't go wrong with any Disney resort, but WL to us really feels like you are getting away from it all. Hopefully you love it as much as we did!

LOL. I am so guilty of this.. shredded chicken especially. Love that she eats slushi but has a dislike for quesadillas!

Yep same here. I make a mean quesadilla but I guess after eating them weekly her highness got a little sick of them. So yes I have the only 5 year old on the planet that eats raw fish but won't eat chicken and cheese in a tortilla (but will eat all 3 separately of course). #5YearOldLogic

OMG, how cute! I love her outfit. Hope the running went well for both of them.

It did go quite well for both of them. Jason finished his first ever half marathon in a little over 2 hours and Casey came in 4th in her heat and blew by quite a few boys to get there ; )

LMAO, my kinda girl! I hope you had a beer in the other hand.

You know it and of course it was our favorite german grapefruit varietal.

 

[kastoney]

Will be looking froward to your reviews.

I've been watching for this SO closely and still only made the 2nd page!!! But now I'm here
Love Casey's running outfit. And I would have been doing just what you did instead of running, because I run........never

Hi Ariane, my no running when you can walk sister! Next time I'll be sure to send you your own message so you can be first!!!!! But at least now you know what its like to be me who is infamously late to everyones reports.

YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS! Can't wait!

HOPE YOU ENJOYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!

Wahoo !! I'm in love ur reports!!!!

Thanks Happy. And I'm in love with your name and now may have a certain Pharrell song running through my head.

Love your dining reports and your witty humor !! Looking forward to reading about your dining/drinking adventures!

Oh thank you so much. And you clearly have learned me well to know there will be lots of drinking to come

I'm so pleased to see you're writing another report

Thanks Jo. Hope you enjoy!

Yay! Glad to follow along with another report...and this time you are in my 5 person party world. I swear a party of 5 always gets sat in the most....interesting....of places At least in our case we do! Looking forward to hearing all about it!

Welcome back, welcome back, welcome back......

We really didn't have any "interesting" places to sit except for California Grill where they sat us at a huge table for 10 or 12 for some unknown reason.

I'm here!

Welcome my food, drink, and run disney loving friend!!!

Yay! Can't wait to read more.

I am late but here! Love, love, LOVE Haunted Mansion so even if I didn't already love your reviews, I would have been hooked in! Cannot wait to hear all about your trip! DS and I leave a week from tomorrow so I need something to make the time go faster! Get reviewin' woman! LOL

Hi Vicki! If a day after I started this is late, I don't even wanna know what I am most of the time

I'm a huge haunted fan too and may have gotten stuck on it this trip so I had a moment of ghostly title inspiration!

I can't believe your trip is coming up so soon. Seems like it was just December. And yes Ma'am I'll do my best to get this started today or tomorrow.

Joining in! I love your reports!!

Thanks so much. Hope you enjoy!

Joining in!!

So excited to read all about your latest adventures! What a fabulous title and intro!

Thanks Susan! Glad to see you here. And BTW we backed up August arrival day to the evening of the 23rd to take advantage of a super cheap flight. Do you know what your plans look like yet? I of course shockingly have none

Hooray! Following

Welcome to the food and wine party!

We were there at the same time! (Have we already figured that out?) Wasn't the weather amazing? It was the most un-hot trip we've ever had in Orlando (keep in mind we live in Denver). Love you title. Can't wait for your reviews.

Yeah I think we did figure out that our trips overlapped but of course didn't know that until after the fact because you abandoned me for months And yes the weather was beyond perfect. I had no idea mid-80s and no humidity even existed in Florida.

Following!

So excited for another dining report from you!! Happily following along!

Thanks so much. Hope you enjoy!

YEAH!!! you're back and you're brought more delicious food and drink tales!!!

We'll be at WDW in 24 days so your report will help me fill the time!!

You got it, I'm back, ten pounds heavier and my liver aged at least 20 years ; ) but it was all worth it. And woohoo for a trip in 24 days!!!!!!

Looking forward to your dining report. We leave in a week for Disney World. Can't wait!

A week!!!!! How exciting. Are you going to do a report?

 

[Candycane83]

Joining in! Living my Disney dining dreams through you!

 

[disneyAndi14]

Yippee found your new report, so excited to hear about your dining adventures!

 

[cinderkelly]

Wow page 3 already!! I'm so excited for another @kastoney dining report!! I live vicariously through you and your amazing food adventures.

How cute is your daughter in her Star Wars outfit!! I would totally be next to you pretzel in hand watching those crazy people who run. This girl does not run.

Crazy but true, my parents are Mike and Connie!!!

 

[Elevationist]

Page 3 already?! For serious?! I am so embarrassed... Thank you again for flagging me down!

Welcome Foolish Mortals, to my 5th Dining Report. My name is Kari and I'll be your host, your food host. Our tour begins here, in this report. Here you will see disney food and beverages corrupt me and my family out of our mere mortal state.

On this trip the rest of the family tried out the Star Wars Run Disney events for the first time.

Hooray! How exciting! (Thinking about maybe registering for this one next year myself...)

While I did this....

Bahaha! And this is why we're friends, Kari.

since we were a party of 5 for most of the trip I even went against my unscheduled grain and made some reservations before the trip.

I am SO PROUD of you!!!

 

[pagek83]

Joining in!! I love your reviews!

 

[chocolateMinnie]

Looking forward to another dining report

 

[Mrsd]

Kari, I've never done a trip or dining report but I may try one. We'll see how it goes.

 

[suse66]

So happy to hear that our dates will overlap Kari! I am at the GF for afternoon tea on the 23rd and have a tentative lunch planned for HBD on the 24th. I don't leave until 6pm on the 25th. Hopefully we'll be able to plan a meet..... so fun to hang out with people who enjoy food (and bevvies!) as much as I do!

 

[klacey1]

Joining in! I loved your previous reports!

 

[cwiklamama]

Following- I always enjoy your reports!

 

[dsnydiva2]

Love your reviews, so can't wait to read this one. Catchy title, may I add. We're 17 days out. Excited is an understatement.

 

[kastoney]

Joining in! Living my Disney dining dreams through you!

Welcome to the party!!!!

Yippee found your new report, so excited to hear about your dining adventures!

Hi Andi! So glad you're here.

Wow page 3 already!! I'm so excited for another @kastoney dining report!! I live vicariously through you and your amazing food adventures.

How cute is your daughter in her Star Wars outfit!! I would totally be next to you pretzel in hand watching those crazy people who run. This girl does not run.

Crazy but true, my parents are Mike and Connie!!!

Hey Kelly. You can live through my Disney food and I get to live through your London adventures! Either way sounds like we're both eating.

Can't believe your parents are Mike and Connie too, crazy world sometimes.

Page 3 already?! For serious?! I am so embarrassed... Thank you again for flagging me down!

Apparently it is for serious. Not even I think I'm entertaining enough for 3 pages of intro ; ) And you know I couldn't have started without you.

Bahaha! And this is why we're friends, Kari.

I am SO PROUD of you!!!

You're proud of me for making reservations and I'm proud of you for eating right and exercising. Something is not right in this equation.

Joining in!! I love your reviews!

Welcome Page. Hope you enjoy again.

Looking forward to another dining report

Thanks! I was certainly looking forward to eating it.

Kari, I've never done a trip or dining report but I may try one. We'll see how it goes.

You definitely should. For me I find it makes the trip seem like its extending even longer.

So happy to hear that our dates will overlap Kari! I am at the GF for afternoon tea on the 23rd and have a tentative lunch planned for HBD on the 24th. I don't leave until 6pm on the 25th. Hopefully we'll be able to plan a meet..... so fun to hang out with people who enjoy food (and bevvies!) as much as I do!

Yeah!!!! No plans as of yet (shocking I know) but will let you know once we start to figure some details out. Fast pass at least tends to lock us into some parks.

Joining in! I loved your previous reports!

Following- I always enjoy your reports!

Thanks so much. Hope you enjoy again.

Love your reviews, so can't wait to read this one. Catchy title, may I add. We're 17 days out. Excited is an understatement.

Well cheers to now 16 days and counting

 

[TeeterTots]

Wow, I'm so flattered. So you live near me, have a kid the same age as mine, love food and wine, and Disney it up a few times a year???? Sounds like we wouldn't get along at all Where do you all live? I'm a Burke native with stops through Alexandria, Centreville, Ashburn, Leesburg, and now back to Centreville again ; )

Lol! I can't imagine we'd have anything in common! Haha. I live in Lovettsville.

 

[OasterP]

999 Meals, But There's Always Room For One More

Welcome Foolish Mortals, to my 5th Dining Report. My name is Kari and I'll be your host, your food host. Our tour begins here, in this report. Here you will see disney food and beverages corrupt me and my family out of our mere mortal state.

For those back for your second, third, fourth, or even fifth whirl through my love of disney dining, welcome! This was another great trip full of amazing food, fun, and of course copious amounts of adult beverages. For those just joining in a bit of an introduction to the foodie family that waits you.


In addition to me, the self-confessed disney obsessed girl who never met a drink she didn't like, is my husband, Jason, and our 5 year old daughter, Casey. Jason thankfully shares my love for all things Disney, food & drink, and is a chef to boot, so life with him is pretty darn perfect. Casey is a little foodie in her own right who thankfully in all her 5 years has never met a food she doesn't like (except for quesadillas, which apparently she got sick of because her mama manages to turn any left over into one).

On this trip the rest of the family tried out the Star Wars Run Disney events for the first time.




While I did this....

Should give you a little insight into our family dynamics

Oh and there's a little matter I forgot to mention, we also had a couple of hitchhikers with us.

Meet Jason's Dad and Step-Mom, Mike and Connie, otherwise known as Poppy and Grams in our house. This was their first visit to Disney since the early 80's so they were in for a bit of a culture shock. Thankfully they are very easy going and just put all things disney into our hands.

Speaking of our well fed and hydrated disney hands, our trip was from 14-23 April staying at our favorite Wilderness Lodge. Dining this trip included lots of our favorites (Via Napoli, Liberty Tree Tavern, SciFi), several signatures (Citricos, Artist Point, California Grill), and even some new places for us (Garden Grill, Hoop Dee Doo, Skippers Canteen) to name a few. We typically don't make many ADRs and prefer to book day of based on availability, but since we were a party of 5 for most of the trip I even went against my unscheduled grain and made some reservations before the trip.

I think that about sums it up. There's no turning back now.....

​

I was thinking I missed a ton!! I'm glad I found this when I did! As usual Casey looks so much older to me. And that running outfit!!!!!!! I'm still a little bummed we just missed being in Disney at the same time! Though with the way Owen behaved some days you might have found yourself with a five year old daughter AND son... I didn't have so many fun food stories, so I'm anxious to read yours!

 

[kastoney]

Vacation Commencing in 3, 2, 1.....

Despite having to drag our arses into work for a half day before our departure it was Disney (almost) day none the less and we (or at least these 2) were excited.

After an uneventful flight we arrived in Orlando and though this little lady was pumped Disney was not quite upon us.


Thanks to booking a cheap airfare the evening before our intended departure we decided to take a page out of the @Leshaface playbook and stay the night at the Hyatt at the Orlando Airport. Even better I had lots of Hyatt points so our stay was free. While it sucked to be so close yet so far away from Disney this worked out really well. Our flight had gotten in around 8, we were checked into the hotel by 8:30, yet still arrived at Disney before 9 the next morning. But wait, I'm getting ahead of myself.

We all got a great night sleep (Hyatt has the best beds and bedding) and even ordered ourselves some room service before heading off to the magical express.








Nothing special here, but I'm sure you all can guess who did not order the oatmeal!!!

Soon we were on the Magical Express and the real excitement set in.


Shocking despite our pre 9am arrival our room was not ready so Casey and I headed to MK while Jason went to register for the races.

Once in MK we spent some time with Tink, "buzzed" through outer space, and took a spin on our beloved pooper before Casey felt the need to channel her inner @Elevationist and get her face painted.


After all that room service started to wear off so a snack was in order,

This is one of the pre-made Strawberry Banana Smoothies from Auntie Gravity's. While not fresh and a bit too sugary, it hit the spot.

After a quick spin on the world of tiny children, Casey insisted on spending some time with her namesake.




Then it was time for our first beloved disney meal....​

 

[kastoney]

A Really Punny Meal
Once Jason was on his way from the race registration I was able to book us lunch at Skippers Canteen without a half an hour notice. I know a lot of people are down on this place because of the "adventurous" food, but for a family of of Jungle Cruise lovers who love to try new things it was right up our bote, um I mean alley.

After a quick wait in their illustrious thrones

We were soon shown to our table by a fabulous skipper who made some great jokes with Casey along the way.


I know the ADR's on day of throw some people off, but I was shocked at how empty this place was at noon. Sadly elsewhere in MK counter services everywhere were probably brimming with people.

After ordering our very good server Ray brought us some bread to start with.

After some quick googling this is apparently Ambasha Bread served with a honey-infused mustard-style dip. Having no idea what Am, Basha, or Ambasha are this tasted like some wheat bread but the honey was the real star of the dish. It was sweet with a hint of spice and some cinnamon undertones.

Sadly despite being prime for it they serve no alcohol here, but Casey got the closest thing: The Schweitzer Slush.

This blend of frozen apple juice and passion fruit topped with bursting green apple boba balls. This was more passion fruit flavored than apple juice and despite the color wasn't overly sweet. The "boba balls" or smoosh berries as Casey called them are apparently made from tapioca and were downright delicious. While it was odd to slurp up some apple tasting tapioca balls while trying to drink, overall this was a fun and delicious drink.

Now for our meals. First a look at some of my favorites. There is that one and that one oh and that one over there.

Jason went with the Skips Mac and Cheese.

Per the menu this is a “typical Egyptian dish,” made of spiced ground beef, corkscrew pasta, Béchamel sauce, and broccoli on the side. While i'm not sure how much of a staple broccoli is on the Egyptian menu front the actual mac and cheese was quite good. It was loaded with ground beef that had a nutmeg flavor to it and had a lot of cheese sauce on top. It could have used a bit more cheese inside of it and wasn't the best of choice on an 80 degree day, but hit the spot none the less.

Casey and I were of course going to share per our usual. Not knowing how she would take to my meal of choice, I also ordered her some egg drop soup just to be safe.

Strangely my kid who would eat a box of salt if I let her claimed this was too salty and said it tasted like the ocean so she wouldn't eat it. Good news was she was a fan of my offerings.

As none of the entrees jumped out at me I elected to get two apps for us to share. The first was the Falls Falafel.

Per the menu this is a secret recipe of of Chick Peas, Garlic, Onions, Lemon Juice, and Herbs served with White Bean Dip and Tomato-Cucumber Salad. A bit of backstory the first falafel I ever had was from a food cart in New York City and they were amazing. Sadly no others have ever lived up to those.....until today. These were light and airy, with a great chick pea and garlic flavor and they paired wonderfully with the bean dip and cucumber salad. Our server had said these were a house specialty and boy was he right.

My other choice was the House Made Arepas.

The menu touts these as a trip down the Amazon with Slow-cooked Beef, Black Beans, Tostones, and Queso Fresco. I'm not sure if it was the Amazon or not, but if this is what the land of the zika virus tastes like bring it on. The beef had a slight bbq like flavor and while a bit salty, the arepas themselves are like a really thick corn tortilla (but oh so much better) so they helped cut through the salt. The plantains were crispy and delicious and the beans were cooked perfectly.

Overall we really enjoyed our first visit to Skippers Canteen. The food was fun and inventive and you can't beat the jungle atmosphere. I think the appetizers are their sweet spot so we'll probably all just stick to sharing a bunch on our next inevitable visit. Sadly they don't take Tables in Wonderland, but that won't keep us away. What may is the menu change I've heard is looming, but hopefully they keep the originality and just add some plain items for the non "adventurous" crowd.

Up next, a dinner in the wilderness

Now please get off my post...
​

 

[SunnieRN]

What a wonderful start to your trip! Room service, MK, face painting and a wonderful lunch!

Casey is so adorable! The excitement throughout her entire body was so adorable on Magical Express!!!

Looking forward to more installments!!

 

[2xcited2sleep]

Wow- Skipper's Canteen looks really empty!! That's a shame that the menu seems to scare so many off. The same day only reservations is interesting - wonder if more spots will go that route. Your food all looks and sounds yummy. Except the tapioca balls in the slush. I would not enjoy texture in my beverage. And speaking of beverage, why on earth are they not serving alcohol?? All these apparent cost concerns and the answer is staring them in the face!!!