1200 pics, 1100 miles, 15 deluxe dining meals, 1 great time at POR *Completed 9/5*

[alan_renfroe]

Alan, we were out of town for four days (went to Vegas) and trying to catch up.

Great photopass pictures!

I love Dinosaur and have to ride it myself as Mark won't do it since his neck surgery. I can't believe you did Primevil Hurl twice...and especially once after lunch.

We've not done Kali in forever...just not worth the getting drenched as it's such a short ride (I'd rather get drenched on Splash Mountain).

I'm sorry EE never got done, but pool and relaxing time sounds much better to me in any event.

Can't wait to hear about your dinner. We've never done California Grill and I've been reading a lot of mixed reviews lately.

Hi Kathy! Hope y'all had a great trip to Vegas! We just got back yesterday from a trip to Destin and Panama City Beach, Florida. I had a conference in Destin early in the week and DW and I stayed a couple extra days in PCB. We had a nice relaxing time!

I don't blame Mark for taking a pass on Dinosaur. The very first time I rode it, I didn't like it. But I've gotten used to it now....and really like the ride. It can be a bit jumpy/jerky, but it's fun!

I'm with you 100% on Kali. Splash Mt is waaaayyyy more fun! I think our next trip to AK will not include riding Kali, but maybe do something at the park we've not done before. We've never been over to the affection section or any of that. Of course in a few years we will be able to take in the Avatarland part of the park!

Fortunately we were able to ride EE first thing when we got to the park that morning before FOTLK. I was hoping to ride twice, but oh well....at least we got to ride!

No spoilers, but all will be revealed about Cali Grill over the next two chapters! Stay tuned!

Hello, Alan. I just stumbled upon your TR and blew thru the entire thing today. It looks like you guys had such a fun trip and, oh my goodness, all your meals look so amazing!

Thanks for sharing all of this and I can't wait to read more!

Hi Connie96! Glad to have you along for the ride! Thanks very much for your nice compliments! A new chapter is about to be posted!

Alan - I forgot to let you know that before we left PCB last week, I made it to Finn's for lunch! I talked my DH into one more night before we left so we were able to fit it in. It was really good. I got the fish tacos and my DH got the shrimp tacos and then we split them. With that said, if you like the fish tacos than you have got to get them from Sunshine Seasons next time you are at Epcot. The one's at Finn's were good, don't get me wrong, but the ones at SS were phenomenal! They also have a lot more fish on them. I'm really happy that we had Finn's though.

Hi Ashley! Oh cool! We just got back from PCB yesterday. We made it to Finn's for lunch on Tuesday. The last time I went I got the Ahi Tuna tacos and this time I got the fish tacos. The fish tacos were great, but not NEARLY as good as the Ahi Tuna tacos I had last month. Also, DW and I shared a shrimp ceviche...and it was delish! That's a nice cool treat on a hot summer day. I will definitely have to try the fish tacos at SS next time we are at Epcot. SS is probably my favorite counter service restaurant in all of Disney World.

 

[alan_renfroe]

It was Tuesday, June 3, 2014...and tonight we were celebrating our 19-year wedding anniversary! We had dinner reservations at California Grill at 7:45pm. We arrived just a few minutes early and were seated right away.

This restaurant is so beautiful! And the views are absolutely breathtaking.











After engaging our server and getting our drinks ordered, we stepped outside to get some pictures from the balcony while it was still daylight.

Magic Kingdom:





Disney's Grand Floridian:



You can see the cranes and the construction going on at the Polynesian:











Our family!



We went back inside, ready to enjoy our dinner experience. We were having a great time!









Coming up next: our outstanding dinner at California Grill!

 

[SusieBea]

We haven't been to the Calif Grill since the renovation. Looks as if they may have rearranged the seating? Ya think? I'd forgotten how great the views from up there are! (Your daughter looked cute that night. Sweet dress.)

 

[alan_renfroe]

We haven't been to the Calif Grill since the renovation. Looks as if they may have rearranged the seating? Ya think? I'd forgotten how great the views from up there are! (Your daughter looked cute that night. Sweet dress.)

Yeah Cali Grill definitely has a new vibe since the renovation. We liked it! It's liked modernized retro, if that makes any sense at all. The views are really breathtaking! DD says thanks for the compliment!

 

[alan_renfroe]

We were all really excited about having our anniversary dinner at California Grill. We've eaten here twice before and loved it. However, we haven't been here since the renovation and it's always concerning when you read mixed reviews online. I'm happy to report that Cali Grill did not disappoint! We had an outstanding meal!

Our server was Tommy and he did a great job. We were very pleased with his service.

DW and I started out by having a cocktail. I ordered something I had never ordered before: a Cucumber Fizz



This is not something I would normally order. For whatever reason, it just sounded good at the time! It was light and refreshing...but I only wanted one.

DW ordered the Sidecar:



She LOVED it! She had never had one before and wanted one since she first read about them in a Judith McNaught novel when she was 18! LOL!



Now three out of four Renfroes LOVE sushi...one, not so much.

I had been looking at pictures and drooling over this one for months. I ordered the Dragon Roll.







Sooooooo Gooooood! Oh my gosh! It was a thing of beauty!

DW had the Spicy Kazan Roll:





Fantastic as always! A classic! Can't go wrong here!

DS ordered the California Combination Roll:



Again, you can't go wrong here. I would highly recommend this dish to anyone who is new to eating sushi. It was VERY good!

DD ordered the Oven-dried Tomato Flatbread:



She was having no part in our sushi party! This flatbread was right up here alley! She probably ate more of it than she did her entree.

For my entree, I decided to try something I had never had before: the Bison Tenderloin:





Oh my gosh!!!!! Soooooo delicious! It was very lean, but cooked to absolute perfection. I would order this again and again and again! I was thrilled with my entree!

DW decided to try something new herself. She ordered the Seafood Stew:





She liked it but didn't love it. It was not exactly what she was expecting...but it was still good. She thought it would be like a cioppino, but it was actually more like paella. And some of the meats were a little raw...but definitely high quality. She said she wished she had ordered the Jumbo Scallops.

DS and DD both ordered the Jumbo Scallops:





Incredibly delicious! DS ate all of his. DW and I both had one of DD's. She's new to scallops...and is still just experimenting with eating them, so she didn't eat all of hers.

We were all having a very good time! This night was possibly the best wedding anniversary we've ever had! It was certainly one to remember! As we placed our orders for dessert, we made a few more pictures.











Coming up next: Yummy desserts and the end of a wonderful day!

 

[annie170]

I'm not much of a sushi fan, but I bet my husband would love your Dragon Roll. Your daughter's scallops looked amazing!

Great family photos on the balcony with those fantastic views! Your wife and daughter both look very lovely.

 

[DaisyDuck001]

That was very nice that you included your teenagers at your anniversary dinner.

 

[katriscari]

It's 645am, and I want to eat all of that right now! What a gorgeous restaurant and meal!! Perfect for an anniversary! Cannot wait to see what dessert looks like

 

[JoeyEmmaMomma]

Yummy! What a great looking meal!

 

[alan_renfroe]

I'm not much of a sushi fan, but I bet my husband would love your Dragon Roll. Your daughter's scallops looked amazing!

Great family photos on the balcony with those fantastic views! Your wife and daughter both look very lovely.

That sushi was amazing! And those scallops were cooked to perfection. Everything was so good!

Thanks very much for the compliments!

That was very nice that you included your teenagers at your anniversary dinner.

Many months ago we decided that we wanted to celebrate this year's wedding anniversary at Disney World and have the teens with us. It was a wonderful celebration and we all had fun!

It's 645am, and I want to eat all of that right now! What a gorgeous restaurant and meal!! Perfect for an anniversary! Cannot wait to see what dessert looks like

Hahahahaha! I know! Everytime I look at those pictures it makes me hungry. Desserts are going to continue to make you hungry!

Yummy! What a great looking meal!

It was amazing! We could not have asked for a better dinner experience on our anniversary. It was just perfect!

 

[ashleymrush]

OMG that sushi looks AMAZING! My mouth is watering just looking at it. I can't wait until we can go there for a dinner once the boys are older. Those scallops look great too! I can already tell you that my mom is going to be drooling over them if she hasn't seen the pictures yet. She's as obsessed with them as I am with sushi. I can't wait to see the desserts!

 

[alan_renfroe]

After a fantastic dinner at California Grill, we ordered desserts.

I ordered the Warm Homemade Fritters with dipping sauces.





Delicious!

DD had been anxiously waiting for this dessert: the Sundae Sampler



and, of course, she loved it!

DS got the Vanilla Creme Brulee:



DW had the Chocolate Pudding Cake with Nutella filling:






DW described it as "Amaze-balls!" It was a delight!



So...do you see that little strip of chocolate on top?



DW decided to have a little fun with it!



Here is the story as it was told:



"You MUST pay the rent!"






"I CAN'T pay the rent!"






"You MUST pay the rent!"






"I CAN'T pay the rent!"






"I'LL pay the rent!"






"My Hero!!"





"Drats! Foiled again!"










Ok, so WE thought it was funny anyway! And it's nice to know that after 19 years of marriage we can still cut up and laugh at ourselves!


Alas, our dinner at California Grill came to a conclusion...but what a wonderful experience it was! This was our best dinner of the trip...and just a perfect way to celebrate our anniversary.


Grade for California Grill on this evening: A+


So we left the Contemporary Resort and drove back to Port Orleans Riverside for the night.










What a wonderful day it had been! It started off a little rough with having to get up really early, then being completely disappointed with our service at Boma. From that point on, what a fantastic day it was! We got to ride Expedition Everest, see Festival of the Lion King, see It's Tough To Be A Bug, rode Primeval Whirl twice, Dinosaur, Kali River Rapids, had a great lunch at Yak & Yeti, a nice relaxing afternoon, and an outstanding dinner at California Grill! Next year will be our 20-year wedding anniversary. How in the world will we be able to top that? We'll see!!!


Coming up next: Day 6 and we are planning on being at rope drop at the Magic Kingdom!

 

[alan_renfroe]

OMG that sushi looks AMAZING! My mouth is watering just looking at it. I can't wait until we can go there for a dinner once the boys are older. Those scallops look great too! I can already tell you that my mom is going to be drooling over them if she hasn't seen the pictures yet. She's as obsessed with them as I am with sushi. I can't wait to see the desserts!

Oh yeah, that sushi was outstanding! I had been looking at pictures online for months and there was not a single doubt that I was going to be ordering that Dragon Roll. I didn't know if it would qualify as an appetizer on the deluxe dining plan or not....but I didn't even care. I was getting that even if I had to pay out of pocket. (Which, fortunately, I did not!) It was a first class meal and presentation. Dessert pics are now posted!

 

[alan_renfroe]

We woke up early on the morning of Wednesday, June 4th, walked over to the East bus terminal at POR, and took the bus to the entrance of the Magic Kingdom. The park was opening at 9am and we were there by 8:30am. The weather was absolutely beautiful and hot!







While we were waiting for the morning show to begin, I thought I would go ahead and give DD the $20 she earned for riding ALL of the big rides! I thought she might see something at MK that she would want to purchase.



Before we knew it, it was time to get things going!

Good morning! Good morning!













Anna and Elsa were there also!









The rope was dropped and we moved diligently towards Seven Dwarfs Mine Train. We wanted to beat the rush to ride it first thing. Seems like everyone else had the exact same thing in mind.



This was by far the biggest crowd we've seen at Magic Kingdom. LOTS of people there that morning.











Coming up next: Early morning standby line at Seven Dwarfs Mine Train

 

[colachdec]

What an outstanding anniversary experience! The pictures of DW are hilarious. It IS great that you can still crack up at each other after 19 years! Next year is a BIG one and I am sure you will make it just as special as California Grill
We experienced rope drop for the first time in our trip and so honestly teared up! Everything Disney does is done so well and it just makes me feel so blessed to be there making memories. So glad you made a dash for Mine train. Looking forward to see if you got on....

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

 

[KatMark]

I'm glad you had such a wonderful anniversary dinner at California Grill. I think those are the first pictures of the restaurant I have seen since the refurb. Mark and I are with your daughter...no sushi for us; Mark tried it in Vegas in March and said it will be the last time he tries it.

You are right, the view is incredible.

I just saw someone else's update that showed Anna and Elsa in the opening show at the K...I'm sure the little ones are thrilled about that.

Wow...that is a lot of people walking into the MK that morning.

 

[MarbleBob]

What an amazing anniversary dinner. The sushi looks mouth watering! And congrats on 19 years

 

[alan_renfroe]

What an outstanding anniversary experience! The pictures of DW are hilarious. It IS great that you can still crack up at each other after 19 years! Next year is a BIG one and I am sure you will make it just as special as California Grill
We experienced rope drop for the first time in our trip and so honestly teared up! Everything Disney does is done so well and it just makes me feel so blessed to be there making memories. So glad you made a dash for Mine train. Looking forward to see if you got on....

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

Yep next year is a big one! I don't think we'll be able to top this year's celebration....but we'll sure try!

Rope drop at Magic Kingdom is a must-do experience in my opinion. It is SOOOO Disney World! It just fills your morning with excitement and begins your day at the park on such a happy note. It really is the Happiest Place on Earth!

Mine Train report coming up!

I'm glad you had such a wonderful anniversary dinner at California Grill. I think those are the first pictures of the restaurant I have seen since the refurb. Mark and I are with your daughter...no sushi for us; Mark tried it in Vegas in March and said it will be the last time he tries it.

You are right, the view is incredible.

I just saw someone else's update that showed Anna and Elsa in the opening show at the K...I'm sure the little ones are thrilled about that.

Wow...that is a lot of people walking into the MK that morning.

I was a little nervous about California Grill after the refurb and with some of the reviews we had seen online, but thankfully it did not disappoint! In fact, this was one of my favorite dining experiences EVER! We had debated about where to dine on our actual wedding anniversary day...and ultimately we decided there's nowhere we would rather be than on the 15th floor of the Contemporary at Cali Grill!

I didn't realize that Anna and Elsa would be part of the park opening show. That was a nice touch and it keeps things relevant for a new generation of Disney fans.

Yeah it was VERY crowded at MK that morning. 7DMT had only been officially open for a few days and EVERYONE had the same idea to try to get on that ride first.

What an amazing anniversary dinner. The sushi looks mouth watering! And congrats on 19 years

Ahhhh, that sushi was probably the best I've ever had. Even the pictures cannot describe how good it was!

Thanks very much for the congrats! Hard to believe that next year we'll be celebrating 20 years! Where does the time go?

I just now found your trip report and I've made it through the first 13 pages. I will definitely post and read more when I get a chance!

 

[ddstratton]

Wonderful dinner at Cali Grill! I don’t even like sushi, but your plates looked good! Everything just looked so tasty. Love that your DW had some fun with her dessert – so cute!

Oh my gosh! Those crowds. I am SOOO not a crowd person. I tend to get antsy and nervous when I feel blocked in.

 

[alan_renfroe]

Wonderful dinner at Cali Grill! I don’t even like sushi, but your plates looked good! Everything just looked so tasty. Love that your DW had some fun with her dessert – so cute!

Oh my gosh! Those crowds. I am SOOO not a crowd person. I tend to get antsy and nervous when I feel blocked in.

Everything at Cali Grill WAS sooo good! Wish I had some more of that sushi right now! Lol! DW made us all laugh with those pictures!

I don't like big crowds either. Our past trips have been in early May, so we weren't used to seeing this many people at the Magic Kingdom. I was certainly thankful for those fastpasses later in the day!