Jedis, Pirates and Extended Family! A May/June 2012 TR Update: Lunch @ H&V

[megan511]

I'm really glad to hear that. It has my wheels turning......maybe we'll go during that time in 2014. Next May, we're doing a Disney cruise & may do 1 or 2 park days but not enough time to do SWW. But, we could do 2014. Kids get out of school in mid-May here, so that would probably work quite well.

Sounds like such a fun experience! We really do need to go!

I think that sounds like a really good plan!

Cute family! Your son has the sweetest smile.
My DD used to be afraid of the Characters to when she was about your daughters age. The first character breakfast we went to was a complete waste because she hid under the table the whole time. My son has never been afraid, but for some reason he seems to be heading in that direction? Last week Mickey and Minnie came to our local mall for a visit and we waited in line for 2 hours to meet them, my son would only go up if my husband held him? Hope he’ll be a big boy and not be scared when we go in November?
I love the CBR !! Stayed there for our honeymoon and 2nd anniversary… The hammocks were amazing to relax in at the end of a busy day. Haven’t had the pleasure of seeing the new pirate rooms though.
Ohhh my goodness, I want that IPAD case.. Tooo cute. I should look for something similar on ebay?
I LOVE your pixie dust moment… Those are always the best and usually always put a smile on your face and a tear in your eye. I look forward to reading more.

Aw thank you so much! So happy to have you reading along.

Our first trip two years ago my daughter didn't seem to mind the characters but then last year and this year she was scared. My son has always liked them. I think sometimes it seems like kids get more leery of things as they get older. My son is like that with rides. I hope your son isn't afraid in November! Although at least he would meet Minnie and Mickey at all, my daughter would have her head buried in my shoulder!

We really loved CBR! It did have a relaxing feel to it. The IPad case is soo cute! I would definitely check eBay! I'm kind of scared to know how much DH paid for it.

Our pixie dust moment was magical. And all because of a bathroom break!

 

[megan511]

Tessa fell asleep on the way to Downtown Disney so we decided I would just run in and get our lunch to go. We would be getting our lunch from Earl of Sandwich. I was so excited about eating here. I had really wanted to try it on our last trip but never made it over there.

The line was really long but moved quickly. All of the sandwiches sounded delicious, it was so hard to only pick two!

Anthony and Tessa split the Roasted Turkey and Swiss minus the Swiss $3.99. Since we were on the dining plan it came with a drink and a cookie.

They picked at this but that is more about my kids than the sandwich. Obviously they had already been into the cookie but it is vacation after all!


My mom and I ate half of each of these sandwiches...

The Original 1762 - fresh roasted beef, cheddar and creamy horseradish sauce.

Oh my was this good. I would definitely get this again. I was a little worried that the horseradish sauce would be too much for me but I didn't think it was spicy at all. The bread...oh the bread was fantastic. I am a bread lover, I could live off it, and this bread was perfection.

Chicken Chipotle Avocado - grilled chicken strips, savory chipotle sauce and avocado with cheddar cheese, bacon and leaf lettuce. Limited time only!


This was also a very good sandwich. The chipotle mayo had a good kick to it and I liked the combination. It was just not what I wanted. All through the line I was going to get the Original and the Earl's Club but I saw this sign by the register and thought, "oh a special! I should get that because I've never seen it on the Dis!" I wish I would have gotten the Club instead but I still enjoyed this. These sandwiches are so good but so filling. We had a big dinner coming up and I really should have just eaten half of one sandwich.

My mom and I both got the same dessert: the brownie.

This was absolutely delicious. I was so full but I think I still managed to eat almost all of it.

Earl of Sandwich definitely lived up to the hype!

next update

 

[shan23877]

I'm joining in Megan! (though for some reason many of the buttons on the Dis are not working for me today-like the subscribe link and the fonts and such )

Your kids are adorable!

What a magical day at DHS!! That's so awesome that you guys got to be in the parade! I can't wait to see the PP pics!

I'm really interested in what you thought about PP+. I considered upgrading ours to that because we went to so many of the restaurants that were included, but in the end I figured $100 was too much more to pay.

Isn't EoS the best? I love those sandwiches! and you're right-it's all about the bread. My DD refers to Panera as "bread place" because I always order myself (and now her) and extra baguette when we go there!

Can't wait to read more! and hopefully get subbed!

 

[megan511]

I'm joining in Megan! (though for some reason many of the buttons on the Dis are not working for me today-like the subscribe link and the fonts and such )

Your kids are adorable!

What a magical day at DHS!! That's so awesome that you guys got to be in the parade! I can't wait to see the PP pics!

I'm really interested in what you thought about PP+. I considered upgrading ours to that because we went to so many of the restaurants that were included, but in the end I figured $100 was too much more to pay.

Isn't EoS the best? I love those sandwiches! and you're right-it's all about the bread. My DD refers to Panera as "bread place" because I always order myself (and now her) and extra baguette when we go there!

Can't wait to read more! and hopefully get subbed!

Hi Shannon! I'm so happy to have you over here reading along!

Thanks so much! Our DHS day was great! I ordered photopass last week so hopefully it will be here soon. Anthony was shorter than a lot of the other kids so there are not too many of him but there are a few.

$100 is definitely a lot but it worked out pretty well for us. I don't know if it would be worth it every time but this trip it really did.

I loved EOS! That's so funny about Panera, I order an extra baguette too! Chad always laughs at me. He says, "so your basically getting bread with a side of bread?" I'm glad someone else understands!

 

[shan23877]

Chad always laughs at me. He says, "so your basically getting bread with a side of bread?" I'm glad someone else understands!

I got subbed!

That's a funny way of looking at it. I guess that I do get bread with a side of bread! And the soup is just something I use to dip the bread in!

 

[megan511]

I got subbed!

That's a funny way of looking at it. I guess that I do get bread with a side of bread! And the soup is just something I use to dip the bread in!

Exactly! Well and I order extra bread when I get a sandwich too

 

[megan511]

The guys didn't get back from golfing until after 4. Instead of going back to DHS we decided just to go back to CBR and relax until it was time to head to dinner.

Anthony worked on some of his legos from Legoland.

I wanted to get to our 745 reservation early because I really wanted to check out the Beach Club.

I had really fallen in love with the Beach Club in pictures and was starting to think this may be my "dream" resort. I was hoping it would be as pretty in person.

I thought it was gorgeous! Unfortunately, Chad didn't feel the same way. He said if he is paying for a deluxe it's going to be the Polynesian.

We got checked-in and waited for our pager to go off. I think this was our longest wait for an ADR but we did check in early. We probably got seated right about on time.

I thought the restaurant was so cute. I loved all the beach decor.

Now onto the food. I only have pictures of mine and Anthony's plates.

This is Anthony's plate. He had macaroni and cheese and hand carved flank steak. He said the steak was good (it was pretty fatty) but he didn't like the mac and cheese. Tessa had the same mac and cheese and a roll. Chad had flank steak, mac and cheese and mashed potatoes. (I said they were picky!)

Here is my plate.

From top right: Chicken nuggets, fried cod, peas and carrots, herb crusted salmon, basil mashed potatoes, roll with some kind of herb butter on top, marinated roast chicken and steamed corn on the cob.

I thought everything I had was pretty good except I didn't love the roast chicken. The salmon and mashed potatoes were really good. I just wasn't very hungry and this was my only plate. I had to save room for dessert!

I'll be honest and admit my whole reason for booking this ADR was the desserts, especially the Oreo Bon Bons. They DID NOT dissapoint. Absolutely fantastic! The oreo mousse inside was so delicious. The key lime tart and strawberry cheesecake were good also but I only took a few bites so I could eat more Bon Bons.

Our server brought Anthony out his birthday treat.

This was like a chocolate mousse dome. It was good but very, very rich. We only managed a few bites.

I would like to try Cape May Cafe Clam Bake again when I have more of an appetite. I would go back just for the desserts! Chad and the kids weren't wowed by it though so we probaby won't be returning in the near future.

Hopefully we will stay here one day!

We returned back to CBR and settled in for the night. We had a very big day tomorrow as it was Anthony's birthday!

next update

 

[amandaw]

Caught up on the updates!

Yet another glowing review of EoS on the DIS! As you know from my PTR, I'm determined to eat there this year!

Sounds like y'all had a nice dinner at Cape May! I've always steered clear of booking it for dinner because I thought it was mainly seafood. But, it seems like y'all had enough meat that would maybe satisfy my DH.

 

[megan511]

Caught up on the updates!

Yet another glowing review of EoS on the DIS! As you know from my PTR, I'm determined to eat there this year!

Sounds like y'all had a nice dinner at Cape May! I've always steered clear of booking it for dinner because I thought it was mainly seafood. But, it seems like y'all had enough meat that would maybe satisfy my DH.

Yes, you must eat at EoS! I was determined to get there this trip and now I am determined to go back every time.

We are not big seafood eaters and there was plenty for us to eat. It was definitely a good option for dinner and the desserts are the best!

 

[megan511]

I finished up my Legoland TR if anyone is interested. The link is edited to my earlier post and I will add a link right here too.

Legoland TR

 

[amandaw]

Thanks for the link to your Legoland review!

It sounds like y'all had a nice day there. I think I'll wait a couple more years before taking Reid. We'll take him then if he's gotten more into Legos.

 

[megan511]

Thanks for the link to your Legoland review!

It sounds like y'all had a nice day there. I think I'll wait a couple more years before taking Reid. We'll take him then if he's gotten more into Legos.

We did have fun. I agree to wait until Reid is really into Legos. Anthony is crazy about them and we were able to get a deal where we bought an adult ticket and got a child ticket free. That deal was a big factor in us deciding to go.

 

[megan511]

Today was Anthony's birthday and we had a lot of really great things planned. It was also the day Tropical Storm Beryl was scheduled to hit. I was not so worried about our day, we would just put on our rain gear. I was really worried about our night though. We had booked the Pirates and Pals Fireworks Voyage to celebrate Ant's birthday. I was worried the cruise may be cancelled because of the weather. I was just hoping the rain would clear our before Wishes at 10pm.

I got up and ready early. I really wanted us to be leaving CBR by 7am.

Both my kids are bed HOGS!

We ended up leaving CBR around 715. We were the last to arrive at the Polynesian. We had a big birthday breakfast scheduled at 'Ohana! We had eaten here in 2011 and really enjoyed it. Everyone was there except my BiL. He wasn't sure he would be able to come on the trip until the last minute because of work. When I called Disney Dining to add him to the reservation they told me there was no room. He wasn't going to the park either so he decided to go off towards Tampa for the day. My dad used to live in Hawaii and can be a bit of a snob about it. I asked him if the Polynesian looked like Hawaii and he said the "touristy part of Hawaii."

Our reservation was at 745 and we checked in right around that time. We got our pager and leis then were directed to get our picture taken. Chad and I had bought PhotoPass plus and this picture was included. We thought they would just add the pictures to our card but we received the complete printed package as well. Chad was really impressed with this.

After our picture our pager went off. We were led into the restaurant which was not very crowded at this point.

We were seated at two tables of six. My sister laughed because there was an empty chair at her table where my BiL could have been. We were given our fruit, welcome bread and POG (pineapple, orange, guava) juice. Tessa and I love this stuff!

We had a great view

The characters came around quickly. Lilo was the first to arrive.

Tessa does not really like characters. She is usually fine as long as they don't touch her. When they would come around we let them know Tess liked her space.

Stitch came next. I love this picture because Tessa has no idea Stitch is behind her!

After Stitch our food arrived. Breakfast is served family style and is all you can eat. I'm usually the buffet runner for my kids so I appreciate the family style meals! The skillet contains scrambled eggs, pork sausage, bacon, breakfast potatoes and biscuits. Our server offered us sausage gravy for our biscuits as well. I think this was a new addition or a trial. Another server walks around with unlimited Mickey waffles so of course we got some of those too.

The skillet is pretty standard food. The eggs are awesome and everything else in the skillet is average. My sister told a server that they had the best eggs and he said it's because they use heavy cream! The coconut pineapple bread is delicious also and the fruit is very fresh and tasty. We really enjoy this breakfast and I'm sure we will be back. I think the cost is around $25 for adults and $14 for kids.

Mickey came around next. Mickey kind of snuck up on us because we were eating and gave Tess a hug before we could say anything. She was not happy about that...

Mickey took a picture with my parents too. I had joked with my dad before the trip about getting a picture with Mickey because he does not like his picture taken and he does not like Mickey! He took a nice one though.

Pluto was last to visit our table and came right after Mickey. We had to show Pluto that we had brought him along. He's Tessa's favorite stuffed animal.

We finished eating and settled our bill. We were on the DDP and everyone else was paying OOP but it was no problem to split the checks.

Our server brought Anthony out his birthday cupcake but we ended up taking it to go.

After breakfast we had to get a picture in the beautiful lobby.

The Polynesian is absolutely Chad's favorite resort and I love it too. Chad said he is putting off staying here because he knows once he does he won't want to stay anywhere else.

Next update I promise we finally do something besides eat!

next update

 

[shan23877]

Great update! We really enjoyed 'Ohana breakfast as well, though I think it was more for the relaxed pace and great service than the food. The food was good, but not outstanding to us.

Sorry Mickey cornered Tessa! Poor kid.

Nice pictures! That's awesome that you got the print package as well with PP+! Nice perk!

I've always thought the Poly was my dream resort too, but lately I've been leaning toward the Beach Club...

 

[MSierra123]

Hi You have a lovely family. I can't wait to read more.

 

[amandaw]

So glad y'all had such a nice breakfast for Anthony's birthday! I do hope the weather was ok that night though.

Your dad doesn't like Mickey? Blasphemy!

All of the pictures are great!

 

[OhioStateBuckeye]

Friday May 25th

This was our travel day.

*That is the Dalek enjoying I-95. The Dalek is from the BBC sci-fi show Doctor Who. The Daleks are villains and as you already know the Dalek does not make it home.*

Dalek! Ok hooked already

 

[megan511]

Great update! We really enjoyed 'Ohana breakfast as well, though I think it was more for the relaxed pace and great service than the food. The food was good, but not outstanding to us.

Sorry Mickey cornered Tessa! Poor kid.

Nice pictures! That's awesome that you got the print package as well with PP+! Nice perk!

I've always thought the Poly was my dream resort too, but lately I've been leaning toward the Beach Club...

That is why I like 'Ohana too. I can just eat instead of making plates for my kids and me in between character visits. The only food I really love there are the bread and eggs.

I know Mickey snuck in a hug! Tess was not pleased but she was fine as soon as he left. We made sure Pluto kept his distance too.

We were impressed with the photopass plus package. I know a lot of people skip the restaurant pics but I tend to buy them so it made the plus upgrade worth it to us.

I the Beach Club. I thought it was gorgeous! I would definitely have a hard time choosing between the two.

Hi You have a lovely family. I can't wait to read more.

Thanks so much! I'm happy to have you here reading along!

So glad y'all had such a nice breakfast for Anthony's birthday! I do hope the weather was ok that night though.

Your dad doesn't like Mickey? Blasphemy!

All of the pictures are great!

We had a great breakfast. It was a wonderful start to our day. The weather was up and down all day, it kept us worried right until the end!

I know, right? I don't know what is wrong with my dad! He took me to Disneyland when I was 16 and he hated how they handled crowds there. He even wrote Guest Relations about it. Then we had our disaster trip in 2005 which didnt help matters.

I think he has softened on Mickey though seeing Disney through his grand children's eyes. He actually really surprised me with how much fun he seemed to have this time. As my husband was saying all trip about things, " it was a Disney miracle!"

Thanks about the pictures. Unfortunately this is the day my camera starts giving me fits!

Dalek! Ok hooked already

Haha, I wondered if anyone would comment on the Dalek or if I just looked crazy! The Dalek's sad tale comes up when we get back to Epcot

Thanks for reading along!

 

[RGirl]

Hi Megan! I followed the link in your signature - I'm so excited to join in on your TR. I love reading recent reports (especially with all the recent changes at WDW).

Your report is off to a great start! The pirate room looks so fun - I bet your DS loved it. And how amazing that you all got to be in the SWW parade - I just love special magic moments like that.

The Ohana breakfast looks tasty and fun. I think we may need to book that one at some point!

 

[megan511]

Hi Megan! I followed the link in your signature - I'm so excited to join in on your TR. I love reading recent reports (especially with all the recent changes at WDW).

Your report is off to a great start! The pirate room looks so fun - I bet your DS loved it. And how amazing that you all got to be in the SWW parade - I just love special magic moments like that.

The Ohana breakfast looks tasty and fun. I think we may need to book that one at some point!

Thanks so much for coming over! I'm happy to have you reading along. It's fun reliving our trip.

We really loved the pirate rooms! Anthony thought they were so cool. The SWW parade was so exciting. I couldn't believe it, total pixie dust

Ohana breakfast is fun. I like it because they bring the food to you. No rushing to the buffet like a mad person in between characters and we love visiting the Polynesian. The food isn't spectacular but I would recommend it!