The not so live version of dining w/ Disers, in Castles & on Safari! The Wrap! 2/26

[peachmermaid]

Ooh, plan B looked fun! Boo to missing the cruise though. It's Florida...don't they know rain comes & goes there?

 

[dvc4life]

Hi Brenda! I don't comment alot, but I sure do love your dining reports and trip reports. I am currently reading both of your current ones! Plus followed along on the live dining thread with Barb!

Your trips look so amazing. You and Em really have a fun time. And I really enjoy reading about them.

Thanks for the fun of following along on your trips!

 

[GoofySon'sMom]

Plan B was definitely a lot of fun! And no doubt we got to spend more time just chatting than we would have on the boat. It was definitely a bummer ... lightning, not rain cancelled us...but we made the best of it for sure!

Hoping for better luck in December!

 

[emmysmommy]

Try amazon for Mickey Mouse waffle maker, they should come right up. I was at a small shop so it wouldn't help you but I did find the same thing on amazon. I am still on the fence! Will it taste the same (prob not but that would be okay) and will it make them less special when I get the real thing? Tat is the real question! Lol

Ha ha! I hear ya! It's one thing to have such a novel waffle shape but it is another to go to the effort when it may not taste the same. At least with my lack of culinary skills!

Too bad the cruise was canceled but Plan B looks awesome! It's so cool that DDW can partake of the adult beverages now.

Jill in CO

Hi Jill! Agreed Plan B was pretty good.

So true, Mr. DDW ordering a margarita now makes me feel so parental - like our baby is growing up.

No cruise because of thunder and lightening? Really!

Seriously, Plan B seems to have worked since you so enjoyed your cocktail that you had more than one of them.

I'm glad you had such a great time.

And thanks for the heads up on the TIW card...I'll have to remember that.

Gee, I wonder who your DIS meet is with at Tusker House.

Yeah, plan B was probably better since it involved cocktails! I think there are several lounges that accept TiW and have an abbreviated dining menu as well >> Crew's Cup Lounge at YC.

I wonder.... You seem to have some inside knowledge.

On no, I didn't realise that your cruise got cancelled
Fingers crossed we set sail in December
Plan B sure looked like fun though

Hi Linda! It did. But all was well since Plan B was dry, well not in the alcohol sense, and perfectly lovely!

I agree, hopefully December is not as stormy.

The pina colava looks a lot like the lava flows that I adored so much during my Maui honeymoon... that's going on my list for December!

Hi Jill! Ohhh that's a cool description that I didn't even think about. Then this drink should be sentimental!

DIS meets are so much fun aren't they, it's amazing how online friends quickly become real life best friends

Oh I have a Mickey waffle maker and they taste great

Hi Jo! I absolutely agree! Dis friends are the best since they get the whole Disney thing too.

Mickey waffles at home, I can't imagine how much fun that would be to have breakfast with a little Disney twist.

I am so excited for Y&Y! It just looks divine! I already know what I want too...such a Dis thing! Oh well!

I had a very delightful dinner at Captain's Grille nearly 4 years ago! I have yet to make it back though I loved it...there's just so many other delicious options I haven't been able to!

Stinks about missing the cruise, but it looks like you still had a great night! Always fun to be able to relax with friends!

Hi Kimmy! I just think Dining reviews help save time during your actual trip because you can decide ahead of time what to order!

I hear you about so many places to try still, I have many on my list.

The cruise being cancelled didn't disappoint too much since I knew we'd still get to visit with these friends. It just wasn't on a boat.

Ooh, plan B looked fun! Boo to missing the cruise though. It's Florida...don't they know rain comes & goes there?

Hi Jennifer! That day happened to be the biggest storms that they had all month so our timing stunk! But it was fine in the end since we were still able to enjoy a couple hours together over cocktails.

Hi Brenda! I don't comment alot, but I sure do love your dining reports and trip reports. I am currently reading both of your current ones! Plus followed along on the live dining thread with Barb!

Your trips look so amazing. You and Em really have a fun time. And I really enjoy reading about them.

Thanks for the fun of following along on your trips!

Hi Chris! Thank you and I'm so glad that you are joining in for this DR. Ahhh the live dining thread, it's a hobby to read through that thing.

Thank you, we do enjoy our girl time at WDW.

Plan B was definitely a lot of fun! And no doubt we got to spend more time just chatting than we would have on the boat. It was definitely a bummer ... lightning, not rain cancelled us...but we made the best of it for sure!

Hoping for better luck in December!

Hi Vicki! I was almost expecting the cruise to be cancelled with how bad the storms had been. It wasn't as disappointing as I thought since we did have a great time out of the rain and enjoying a cocktail. However, I'm looking forward to December.

 

[distripplanner]

I see you still have a list of places to try, and I actually did a post but would love your input! Would you ever decide on dining locations based on pulling them from a hat? I have too many and the others going aren't helping much, they pretty much just show up and think this great, well thought out trip put itself together (but not in an ungrateful sort of way- just not into details). So I'm considering giving each of us one choice of a place we've previously dined at and all the rest have to be new and drawn from a hat. I just don't know if I can actually go through with it. Considering shaking up resort choice the same way. We always stay in the same place (which we love but so many choices!!). Sorry for the long ramble!

 

[rachel09985]

What a great dismeet minus the cruise being canceled.

Boy it will be funny taking pictures of our food in December. At least this time I don't have to take cell phone pics because there will be no live thread anymore.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Sorry your cruise got cancelled, but sounds like you made the best of it with Plan B

Wishing you luck that your Decembercruise works out!

 

[emmysmommy]

Day 4: Mon. Aug. 19, 2013 Tusker House Breakfast

Anyone who has followed my past dining reviews may recall that we have made it a habit to cancel Tusker House Donalds Safari Breakfast in past trips. Its not for a lack of desire, just our schedule has not synced with being in AK park during breakfast. However, I was excited that this reservation had remained intact through all our plan changes because we now had the opportunity to have an epic Dismeet!!! Kathy (KatMark) was going to be there for breakfast with her husband earlier than our reservation so wed meet up briefly between the two.

With that exciting prospect to look forward to we arrived promptly at 10:15am to check in and were directed to the l-on-g line to have our photo taken with Safari Donald. Argh! I didnt want to keep Kathy and her husband waiting for us. Just when I pulled out my phone to text her I heard a voice behind us calling our names. It was one of those meets where you immediately think, oh my gosh, this person is even more awesome than I imagined. For anyone that has not had the privilege, she is completely warm, inviting, and an absolute pleasure. If you cant tell, Im a HUGE fan of hers. Mark was just as hilarious as I anticipated and didnt seem to mind that I immediately went in for the hug. (Yep, thats me a hugger!)

I invited them to join us for our Safari Donald photo. Whats better than a Dis meet up photo other than a Dismeet with a character? They were kind enough to walk us to our table so we could chat briefly. Kathy presented us with some adorable Disney themed gifts. Thanks Kathy for your generosity and thoughtfulness! It was truly appreciated.

After foisting my camera off on Mark to take some photos of the three of us gals, we said our good-byes. Not to worry, this wasnt the last of our meet ups.

Our Swag:

Our server came by to get our drink orders, cautioning us to hold off going to the buffet since the characters were making their rounds nearby. No problem. We waited about 15-20 minutes for our first character meet due to the fact that they filled every table in the back between us and the characters making their circuit of the room. That and Mickey needed to grab some cheese thus another delay. We werent extremely hungry so it wasnt a bit deal but our timing was definitely off.

Mickey finally came by to greet us. Is that a canteen that he carries? So adorable.

We made a dash for the buffet hall so we could fill some plates before the next character arrived. And by hall, I really mean cavernous auditorium of a room filled with all manner of breakfast items. This was the biggest breakfast buffet that I have seen for WDW. How do you decide??

Food Options:​

Turnovers:

Apple Cinnamon and Blueberry Muffins:

Sprinkled donuts:

Danishes:

Krispy Kreme:

Fruit Cobbler:

Bread Pudding:

Because I was busy trying to take photos of as many dishes as I could without getting in anyones way, I realized I needed to load up a plate quickly get back to the table before the next characters arrived.

My selections were no surprise, MICKEY WAFFLES. Not just one or two, I wasnt shy& I went for 3 of these delicious babies. The rest of my choices were a glycemic episode waiting to happen. Krispy kreme donut hadnt had one of those in years, Bread pudding, and fruit cobbler. Nothing healthy here I tell ya! Definitely a plate of guilt!

I also selected some fresh fruit (yay me for at least 1 healthy thing) and some scrambled eggs. If you look closely youll see a blue plate peeking out from under my scrambled egg plate. I had reserved the right to grab an additional serving of something& no, I didnt but I wanted to keep my options open. In fact, because I didnt like the bread pudding or the cobbler, I mostly ate the waffles, fruit, and scrambled eggs. Oh, and that Krispy Kreme was the first thing I ate!

Daisy and Goofy also made their rounds...

We were there so long that Mickey #2 came by to say hi. He looked like he didnt recognize us from earlier since he beckoned us to pose with him again!

I have to say that Im undecided as to whether I would return anytime soon. The pros are the huge selection of food. The cons are the huge selection of foods I could spend an hour browsing the selections. Other pros are the adorable characters and the prime location inside the AK park. Cons are the adorable characters interrupt your meal!! ​

Next Up: More Tusker House Buffet Photos - Part 2​

 

[emmysmommy]

Tusker House - Donald's Safari Breakfast - Part 2​

More food photos at Tusker House:

Spit Roasted bone-in Ham:

Basmati Rice with lemon and cinnamon and cardamom sweet plantains:

Seasonal Veggie Quiche:

Beef Bobotie:

Coconut Sweet Potato Casserole:

Oven Roasted Red Skinned Potatoes:

Fruit Loops and Rice Krispies:

Fresh Melon:

Cream Cheeses, Jams, Jellies, Chutney, and Whipped Butter:

Oatmeal:

Cornbread:

Fresh Biscuits:

Sausage Gravy:

Mealie Pap:

PB&J Uncrustables:

Sausage Patties:

Bacon:

These need no introductions:

And folks, this wasn’t even all the options. I didn’t have enough time to take a photo of everything.

Next Up: Club Level Snacks

​

 

[emmysmommy]

I see you still have a list of places to try, and I actually did a post but would love your input! Would you ever decide on dining locations based on pulling them from a hat? I have too many and the others going aren't helping much, they pretty much just show up and think this great, well thought out trip put itself together (but not in an ungrateful sort of way- just not into details). So I'm considering giving each of us one choice of a place we've previously dined at and all the rest have to be new and drawn from a hat. I just don't know if I can actually go through with it. Considering shaking up resort choice the same way. We always stay in the same place (which we love but so many choices!!). Sorry for the long ramble!

I have to chuckle about your observation in regarding to your travel party not knowing that so much thought and planning can go into creating a dining itinerary alone. (My husband thought the same thing and I asked him how he would plan a trip with dining and he said just show up wherever/whenever... he so doesn't get it! )

To answer your question, for ME, I'm a control freak so no, I wouldn't just randomly pull places from a hat and go with that! Wish I could!

However, your suggestion gives everyone input for their choice and then fate decides the rest. Not a bad idea at all!

What a great dismeet minus the cruise being canceled.

Boy it will be funny taking pictures of our food in December. At least this time I don't have to take cell phone pics because there will be no live thread anymore.

Hi Rachel! I agree. Picturing a flurry of activity once the food arrives and no one digs in until our photo shoot has concluded. It will be interesting.

Ha ha!! You're right, that is one less thing to worry about since we won't be posting a live review. We'll just have to coordinate between all the Disers contributing to the dining reviews. Should be fun!

Sorry your cruise got cancelled, but sounds like you made the best of it with Plan B

Wishing you luck that your Decembercruise works out!

Hi there Max! (I'm taking the liberty of shortening your name. )

We're flexible like that... can't upset me by cancelling my cruise. Not when there is a cocktail being offered.

If our cruise doesn't work out we'll have a lot of people to crowd around into a lounge. Watch out everyone!!

 

[tallen429]

Mr. DDW clearly needs a few more shirts!

 

[pattiken]

Tusker house wow, ya big Buffett for sure. I totally get what you mean about the pros and cons of this Buffett
Fun dis meet!

 

[dvc4life]

Man is that a lot of food on that buffet. Looks good though.

 

[DisneyJo]

Oh my goodness that buffet is HUGE and to me most of that food is either lunch or dessert

 

[KatMark]

Anyone who has followed my past dining reviews may recall that we have made it a habit to cancel Tusker House Donalds Safari Breakfast in past trips. Its not for a lack of desire, just our schedule has not synced with being in AK park during breakfast. However, I was excited that this reservation had remained intact through all our plan changes because we now had the opportunity to have an epic Dismeet!!! Kathy (KatMark) was going to be there for breakfast with her husband earlier than our reservation so wed meet up briefly between the two.

I'm so glad it stuck this trip too.

With that exciting prospect to look forward to we arrived promptly at 10:15am to check in and were directed to the l-on-g line to have our photo taken with Safari Donald. Argh! I didnt want to keep Kathy and her husband waiting for us. Just when I pulled out my phone to text her I heard a voice behind us calling our names. It was one of those meets where you immediately think, oh my gosh, this person is even more awesome than I imagined. For anyone that has not had the privilege, she is completely warm, inviting, and an absolute pleasure. If you cant tell, Im a HUGE fan of hers. Mark was just as hilarious as I anticipated and didnt seem to mind that I immediately went in for the hug. (Yep, thats me a hugger!)

That line for Donald is ALWAYS long; they didn't even tell us to get in it last year the first time we went. Oh now you have me doing this: You are too kind. I'm a huge fan of yours too. And Mark doesn't mind hugs...he rather enjoys them.

I invited them to join us for our Safari Donald photo. Whats better than a Dis meet up photo other than a Dismeet with a character? They were kind enough to walk us to our table so we could chat briefly. Kathy presented us with some adorable Disney themed gifts. Thanks Kathy for your generosity and thoughtfulness! It was truly appreciated.

I'm so glad we were able to get that group shot as I think that is the only time we got Mark in a picture with us because he was always the photographer using our cameras, phones, etc.

After foisting my camera off on Mark to take some photos of the three of us gals, we said our good-byes. Not to worry, this wasnt the last of our meet ups.

Great pictures!

Our Swag:

I'm glad you enjoyed your "swag."

Our server came by to get our drink orders, cautioning us to hold off going to the buffet since the characters were making their rounds nearby. No problem. We waited about 15-20 minutes for our first character meet due to the fact that they filled every table in the back between us and the characters making their circuit of the room. That and Mickey needed to grab some cheese thus another delay. We werent extremely hungry so it wasnt a bit deal but our timing was definitely off.

Mickey finally came by to greet us. Is that a canteen that he carries? So adorable.

We made a dash for the buffet hall so we could fill some plates before the next character arrived. And by hall, I really mean cavernous auditorium of a room filled with all manner of breakfast items. This was the biggest breakfast buffet that I have seen for WDW. How do you decide??

Food Options:​

Turnovers:

Apple Cinnamon and Blueberry Muffins:

Sprinkled donuts:

Danishes:

Krispy Kreme:

Fruit Cobbler:

Bread Pudding:

Because I was busy trying to take photos of as many dishes as I could without getting in anyones way, I realized I needed to load up a plate quickly get back to the table before the next characters arrived.

My selections were no surprise, MICKEY WAFFLES. Not just one or two, I wasnt shy& I went for 3 of these delicious babies. The rest of my choices were a glycemic episode waiting to happen. Krispy kreme donut hadnt had one of those in years, Bread pudding, and fruit cobbler. Nothing healthy here I tell ya! Definitely a plate of guilt!

I also selected some fresh fruit (yay me for at least 1 healthy thing) and some scrambled eggs. If you look closely youll see a blue plate peeking out from under my scrambled egg plate. I had reserved the right to grab an additional serving of something& no, I didnt but I wanted to keep my options open. In fact, because I didnt like the bread pudding or the cobbler, I mostly ate the waffles, fruit, and scrambled eggs. Oh, and that Krispy Kreme was the first thing I ate!

Daisy and Goofy also made their rounds...

We were there so long that Mickey #2 came by to say hi. He looked like he didnt recognize us from earlier since he beckoned us to pose with him again!

I have to say that Im undecided as to whether I would return anytime soon. The pros are the huge selection of food. The cons are the huge selection of foods I could spend an hour browsing the selections. Other pros are the adorable characters and the prime location inside the AK park. Cons are the adorable characters interrupt your meal!! ​

Next Up: More Tusker House Buffet Photos - Part 2​

Great photos with the characters. I agree this is one of the bigger buffets and I have always enjoyed the food. I just wish the service would be a little quicker. I think we are going to pass it up in 2014, but we will be back.

 

[smile4stamps]

I love Tusker House but Hunter doesn't want to be tied down to an ADR so I canceled the reservation I had made and we will "wing-it" in AK. Plus TH is what made Hunter not feel so good last trip...

 

[princessnpirate]

Joining in loving it!!

 

[peachmermaid]

I really like the tusker house. So much food (aka mickey waffles!) & cute character outfits.

Also, cute chicago themed gifts! How nice!!

 

[kastoney]

Subbing in late too and loving it so far. I've got to splurge on club level some day. Safari aside with "free" food and alcohol I'm not sure Id ever leave. But I'm guessing that would be frowned upon.

I had a much different experience at Tusker. Im not usually a buffet fan but gave a few a try this trip for characters for my daughter. Tusker was hands down our favorite. Loved all the different options and variety. And of course copious amounts of Krispy Kreme.

 

[francis6306]

TH is one of our FAVORITE meals. Seriously!! Can't imagine being in AK and NOT enjoying that breakfast! And the dancing with the characters is a HIT with the younger set!