*8/8 Update: Our Intentions Were Good, But The Treats Were Better: One Month in Disney (4/21-5/21)

[mickey916]

Wow I don’t realize you were doing Universal this trip too! It does make so much sense to stay a night for express pass! We’ve only stayed at Hard Rock. My sister stayed at Portofino last year and we visited them. It was beautiful.

DH and I don't go to Universal when it's just us. Since he can't do rides with screens or coasters there's not enough we can do there together. It is DS-28's favorite park so if he's coming it's a guarantee we will go there. Portofino is gorgeous! I thought DS-28 would like Hard Rock best but he actually ranks Portofino highest, then Royal Pacific then Hard Rock.

The Hulk was my youngest DS’s favorite ride. I love roller coasters but one year we were there it didn’t agree with me. I haven’t been on since.
I haven’t been to Universal since they got the velociraptor.

The Velocicoaster is so fun! It's very smooth.

I don’t think we spent much time in Seuss landing. I don’t remember much.

That sandwich does sound yummy!

They loved the little baby sandwich on top!

Yeah I just can’t order a salad on vacation.
I get the too much spinach! Haha

It was definitely too much spinach! My belly wasn't feeling anything richer. I had the pepperoni pasta the previous time. It was better than the salad.

Good to know that there’s 2 different tracks.

I hate the lockers! I had issues at the locker for Tron too!! What a pain. They should be free!!!

I agree!

We HP. The rides and theming of those lands are so amazing!

The theming is really amazing. So fun to explore!

So like I said I love roller coasters but I could never get myself to ride RRR. I was so torn and part of me really wanted to but the other part couldn’t get past the straight up and then drop. I regret never trying it. Maybe if I was able to go when I was younger. Lol
Youngest DS loved it!!!

I liked RRR when we went in 2022 but then in 2024 it really banged my head around. I love coasters of all types except then they bang your head,

I like ET too.

So cute!

We love the Mummy ride! Too bad you didn’t get to it.

We knew we could only fit one more ride in and DH can't ride the Mummy so we figured we should let him ride something, haha.

 

[buzzrelly]

This is a yummy chocolate cupcake filled with peanut butter mouse and topped with peanut butter and chocolate buttercream. The peanut butter mouse and buttercream are fantastic, so full of peanut butter flavor!

That looks good!

We really enjoy the Polite Pig. It’s a great go-to spot at Disney Springs.

We love it there too!

And yay for your boys joining you!

 

[mickey916]

That looks good!

It is so good and I always forget just how good until I get it again.

And yay for your boys joining you!

It made us so happy! Now that they're in their late 20s it's always such a bonus to have them join us! DS-28 didn't want to take more than three vacation days but he works remotely so we convinced him to stay the whole week and work from the hotel on Thursday and Friday. It worked out great that he could still join us at night and on the following weekend.

 

[mickey916]

5/11 continued…Dinner at Toothsome Chocolate Emporium​

We have been wanting to try Toothsome for quite some time. The past couple trips we ate at Cowfish and didn’t really love it. We checked in a little early and were taken to a table on the upper level overlooking the dining area below. It was a great table.

We started by sharing the Warm Chocolate Almond Bread for our appetizer: fresh chocolate almond bread, salted caramel butter

This smelled and tasted so good! It was kind of like starting with dessert.

I had looked at the menu in advance of our trip and selected a zucchini noodle dish that sounded good. Unfortunately it was no longer on the menu. Instead, I ordered the Teriyaki Salmon: garlic fried rice, Asian-inspired vegetables

This was very, very good! The salmon was nicely seasoned and perfectly cooked. The broccoli and carrots were tendercrisp and also well seasoned.

DS-26 ordered the Fettucine Alfredo: Parmigiano Reggiano, fresh Italian parsley. He and DS-28 had been trying Italian restaurants lately at home in search of a good fettuccine alfredo so he just had to order it.

He thought this was really good. He was very pleased to find a Fettuccine Alfredo that was just what he was searching for.

DS-28 ordered the French Carbonara: bucatini pasta, Parmesan crème fraiche sauce, country ham, English peas, fried egg, grana padano cheese, meyer lemon oil

He too enjoyed his dish. However, he thought it needed a bit more sauce.

DH ordered the Croque Monsieur. country ham, gruyère cheese, Béchamel sauce, grated Parmesan, French loaf toasted

He thought it was fine but wished he had tried something more than an elevated grilled ham and cheese.

We were excited to see Professor Doctor Penelope Tibeaux-Tinker Toothsome and her robot companion, Jacques, walking around the restaurant greeting diners. They were stopping and visiting each table. As they approached us we looked up and smiled at them and they walked right by, stopping to visit at the next table. It was odd. Here is my blurry photo of them as they passed by.

Of course we had to get dessert and had been eyeing some of their sundaes. They look huge so I thought we could order one to share. I was however outvoted 3-1, so we ended up ordering two sundaes to share. (Aside: I read this post to my DS-28 and he laughed and said "That's right, we did actually take a vote, haha".)

First, we shared the May Contain Nuts: peanut butter ice cream, peanut brittle, Reese’s® peanut butter cups, chocolate peanut butter pie, whipped topping, peanut butter sauce, topped with Reese’s® Pieces

The second sundae we shared was the Chocolate Brownie Bark:chocolate ice cream, chocolate brownies, chocolate whipped topping, chocolate sauce, chocolate brownie bark, chocolate sprinkles

We enjoyed both sundaes but I have to admit the men were correct in ordering two. The sundaes look huge but a large portion of them is just whipped cream. There really wasn’t a lot of ice cream in either one of them. They were both very tasty though. We all liked the chocolate brownie bark one best. The chocolate whipped cream and brownie were delicious.

Overall we really enjoyed our meal. The atmosphere was great, service was excellent, the food was very tasty, and the dessert was good. We gave it an A. We liked Toothsome way more than Cowfish and will definitely eat here again.

After our meal we walked over to Portofino Bay for our one night stay. The resort is gorgeous and our room was huge.

The bathroom was enormous!

We very much enjoyed our very brief stay at Portofino Bay. It was spacious, quiet, clean and comfortable. The only downside was it’s a little longer walk to the parks but we would stay here again.

It was a great day and I can't think of a better way to spend Mothers’ Day than in Orlando with my DH and my sons.

Up next..a rainy day in Animal Kingdom…break out the Tevas and raincoats!

 

[ddluvsdisney]

5/11 continued…Dinner at Toothsome Chocolate Emporium​

We have been wanting to try Toothsome for quite some time. The past couple trips we ate at Cowfish and didn’t really love it. We checked in a little early and were taken to a table on the upper level overlooking the dining area below. It was a great table.

We haven’t been to Toothsome yet. Last year when my sister was staying at Portofino, we met them at City walk and ate at Cowfish. We also thought it wasn’t that good. The last time we went there the boys were small and they loved it.
I think my sister made a reservation for Toothsome for another night when we weren’t there.

We started by sharing the Warm Chocolate Almond Bread for our appetizer: fresh chocolate almond bread, salted caramel butter

This smelled and tasted so good! It was kind of like starting with dessert.

That bread def sounds like dessert!

I had looked at the menu in advance of our trip and selected a zucchini noodle dish that sounded good. Unfortunately it was no longer on the menu. Instead, I ordered the Teriyaki Salmon: garlic fried rice, Asian-inspired vegetables

This was very, very good! The salmon was nicely seasoned and perfectly cooked. The broccoli and carrots were tendercrisp and also well seasoned.

That salmon does look delicious.

DS-26 ordered the Fettucine Alfredo: Parmigiano Reggiano, fresh Italian parsley. He and DS-28 had been trying Italian restaurants lately at home in search of a good fettuccine alfredo so he just had to order it.

He thought this was really good. He was very pleased to find a Fettuccine Alfredo that was just what he was searching for.

DS-28 ordered the French Carbonara: bucatini pasta, Parmesan crème fraiche sauce, country ham, English peas, fried egg, grana padano cheese, meyer lemon oil

He too enjoyed his dish. However, he thought it needed a bit more sauce.

DH ordered the Croque Monsieur. country ham, gruyère cheese, Béchamel sauce, grated Parmesan, French loaf toasted

He thought it was fine but wished he had tried something more than an elevated grilled ham and cheese.

There’s always next time! I’m sure you’ll be back. Sounded like a great meal.
We’ll have to try it.

We were excited to see Professor Doctor Penelope Tibeaux-Tinker Toothsome and her robot companion, Jacques, walking around the restaurant greeting diners. They were stopping and visiting each table. As they approached us we looked up and smiled at them and they walked right by, stopping to visit at the next table. It was odd. Here is my blurry photo of them as they passed by.

That was strange.

Of course we had to get dessert and had been eyeing some of their sundaes. They look huge so I thought we could order one to share. I was however outvoted 3-1, so we ended up ordering two sundaes to share. (Aside: I read this post to my DS-28 and he laughed and said "That's right, we did actually take a vote, haha".)

First, we shared the May Contain Nuts: peanut butter ice cream, peanut brittle, Reese’s® peanut butter cups, chocolate peanut butter pie, whipped topping, peanut butter sauce, topped with Reese’s® Pieces

The second sundae we shared was the Chocolate Brownie Bark:chocolate ice cream, chocolate brownies, chocolate whipped topping, chocolate sauce, chocolate brownie bark, chocolate sprinkles

We enjoyed both sundaes but I have to admit the men were correct in ordering two. The sundaes look huge but a large portion of them is just whipped cream. There really wasn’t a lot of ice cream in either one of them. They were both very tasty though. We all liked the chocolate brownie bark one best. The chocolate whipped cream and brownie were delicious.

I can see from the pictures that the ice cream was lacking.

Overall we really enjoyed our meal. The atmosphere was great, service was excellent, the food was very tasty, and the dessert was good. We gave it an A. We liked Toothsome way more than Cowfish and will definitely eat here again.

After our meal we walked over to Portofino Bay for our one night stay. The resort is gorgeous and our room was huge.

The bathroom was enormous!

We very much enjoyed our very brief stay at Portofino Bay. It was spacious, quiet, clean and comfortable. The only downside was it’s a little longer walk to the parks but we would stay here again.

It was a great day and I can't think of a better way to spend Mothers’ Day than in Orlando with my DH and my sons.

What a fantastic Mothers Day!!

Up next..a rainy day in Animal Kingdom…break out the Tevas and raincoats!

 

[ThreeBoyMama]

Those sundaes look delicious!

 

[tinkerbellmagic]

I never tried the hot Butter Beer, but was so obsessed with the frozen version that I thought about it for months. And still do, when I’m reminded of them for any reason at all. Sooo good!

Oh that warm cinnamon roll from Gaston’s Tavern looks so delicious! No wonder it’s the new avatar star! ️ I remember ordering Lefou’s brew from Gaston’s in an effort to somehow relive something along the lines of Butter beer, but it fell short. Next time, I’ll forget the brew and order the cinnamon roll.

Oh, that clever squirrel is so funny!

Ok, yes, “Can I get an Amen?” would have thrown me for a loop too, I come from the era of wearing white lace chapel veils bobby pinned to our heads. You were asking for trouble from the nuns if you dared to wear a black lace one. I’m glad you found a more comfortable church to attend. It sure sounds like a good fit.

Thank you in advance for taking the time to create a summarized list of food ratings and your total step count.

I always look forward to your updates! I’m so glad you guys took a long vacation!

 

[mickey916]

I never tried the hot Butter Beer, but was so obsessed with the frozen version that I thought about it for months. And still do, when I’m reminded of them for any reason at all. Sooo good!

I would get the frozen one next time too.

Oh that warm cinnamon roll from Gaston’s Tavern looks so delicious! No wonder it’s the new avatar star! ️ I remember ordering Lefou’s brew from Gaston’s in an effort to somehow relive something along the lines of Butter beer, but it fell short. Next time, I’ll forget the brew and order the cinnamon roll.

We didn't really care for LeFou's Brew a couple years ago but the Cinnamon roll is a must do!

Oh, that clever squirrel is so funny!

He was so funny to watch!

Ok, yes, “Can I get an Amen?” would have thrown me for a loop too, I come from the era of wearing white lace chapel veils bobby pinned to our heads. You were asking for trouble from the nuns if you dared to wear a black lace one. I’m glad you found a more comfortable church to attend. It sure sounds like a good fit.

It was a good fit for us, thank goodness!

Thank you in advance for taking the time to create a summarized list of food ratings and your total step count.

I always look forward to your updates! I’m so glad you guys took a long vacation!

We're really glad we took a long one too! Still a bunch more to report!

 

[mickey916]

5/12 A Cold, Rainy Day in Animal Kingdom​

As we were anticipating our sons’ visit, the weather forecasts were saying we were going to be in a period of rain for their entire visit. Fortunately, as often happens, the forecast changed and we were faced really with only one day of rain. It just so happened to be on our Animal Kingdom day.

We checked out of the Portofino Bay hotel and made our way to Animal Kingdom. I had purchased LLMP and LLSP for FoP so that we wouldn’t feel the need to be there for the 7:30 early entry rope drop, especially since we were driving over from Universal.

We entered the park a little before 9:00 dressed in raincoats and wearing Tevas. We headed straight to Asia to ride Expedition Everest, DS-28’s favorite ride. There was a 10 minute posted wait and we only waited 5. It was only lightly raining so it wasn’t too bad. Since the line was still short we immediately got back in line and rode a second time. From there we headed to Satu’li Canteen for breakfast. To no one’s surprise DH and I once again ordered the Tropical Pandoran Forest Fruits.

Delicious as always!

Luckily for you, the reader, our sons actually ordered something different so you can see something other than the yogurt dish. DS-26 ordered the Cinnamon French Toast: with Blueberry Cream Cheese, Passion Fruit Anglaise, and Sausage

He enjoyed this dish. He said the French toast and sausage were pretty standard but the blueberry cream cheese was very tasty. He wished there were more of it.

DS-28 ordered the Slow-roasted Pork Shoulder Potato Hash with Chorizo Sausage and Charred Onion Sauce

He loved this dish. At the end of our trip he mentioned it was one of the best things he ate all week. His only criticism was that he wished there was more of everything.

Once again we were impressed with breakfast at Satu’li Canteen and gave it an A.

After our breakfast, it was a little drizzly out but we had a LL for the Safari. What a great safari this ended up being! The best part was watching the elephants bathing in a large pool of water right next to our safari vehicle.

We got to sit on the savannah for quite a long time enjoying the giraffes due to some zebras that didn’t want to move out of the road. Eventually a cast member had to come out in a truck and bribed them with treats to get out of the way.

The lionesses were hunting from way up high.

After a very long time on the safari, we headed next to the Feathered Friends in Flight show. The Cast Members mentioned that due to the rain there would be a modified show. It was definitely modified. They brought out one of the parrots who sang “how much is that doggie in the window” and that was it.

Even though we had already ridden Expedition Everest, we still had a Lightning Lane to use on it so we headed there after the Feathered Friends. This time it was raining a little harder and it hurt a bit as the rain pelted our faces but it was still very fun.

We took a walk through the Maharajah Jungle Trek and found this squatter in the bird section.

It was good weather for a toad.

DS-28 and I both thought since we were already very wet that it was a good day to ride Kali River Rapids. Good news! It was a walk on. DH and DS-26 decided to sit this one out. We had fun but it’s nowhere near as fun as the water rides at Universal. Disney needs to improve this ride.

We walked next through Gorilla Falls, but like the Maharajah Jungle Trek we didn’t see too many animals as they were taking shelter from the rain.

To take a break from the rain, we rode the train out to Rafiki’s Planet Watch and stayed on for the return trip.

I had purchased LLSP for Flight of Passage for all but DH so we headed to Pandora to ride that next. It was really raining hard while we were on the ride so DH hung out in the Gift Shop. The only problem was that the A/C was blasting. DH was already very wet and then got very cold in the gift shop. We had LLMP for the Navi River Journey so we rode that next. I was eager to point out the hidden Mickey in the shawl of the Shaman of Songs. Unfortunately she was in B mode. We’ve never had that happen before.

After we got off the ride, it was time for a treat. Our sons and I wanted to try the Night Blossom from Pongu Pongu but poor DH was so cold he said he definitely didn’t want a frozen drink. I suggested he buy a hot cocoa at Satu’li Canteen. So, we purchased our Night Blossoms while he went in search of hot cocoa.

We all really enjoyed the Night Blossom but I definitely prefer the Berry Freeze from the Warung Outpost. DH was very happy with his hot cocoa, mostly because after holding it in his hands and drinking it he could finally feel his fingers again. He wished he had bought a hot cocoa sooner.

We watched the Finding Nemo show next and, since I had gotten a LLMP for it, we were able to sit in the front section. It’s definitely a better view from there. Our sons hadn’t seen the show before and they thought it was cute but not something they would need to see every time.

We used our final LLMP for the day to ride Dinosaur for probably the last time. The previous time we rode it, it was very rough but this time it didn’t seem to be quite as jerky. We enjoyed it.

We walked through Asia one more time and took our fourth ride on Expedition Everest, with only a ten minute wait. So fun!

As we made our way towards the exit of the park we spent some time walking through the Tree of Life Garden. Despite the rain we really enjoyed our day at Animal Kingdom. It was definitely the lowest crowds we have ever experienced at AK and we were able to do and see everything.

Edit to add: The day was predicted on Touring Plans to be a 5 but due to the rain it ended up only being a 2!

We headed out of the park to go to the Poly for our family favorite must do meal at ‘Ohana. Since we hadn’t eaten lunch we were very ready for our meal!

Up next the skies clear as we enjoy the Polynesian Resort.

 

[ddluvsdisney]

5/12 A Cold, Rainy Day in Animal Kingdom​

As we were anticipating our sons’ visit, the weather forecasts were saying we were going to be in a period of rain for their entire visit. Fortunately, as often happens, the forecast changed and we were faced really with only one day of rain. It just so happened to be on our Animal Kingdom day.

Isn’t that always the way in Florida!? My DH is always telling me not to stress about the forecast bc it is going to change. Usually like your trip for the better.

We checked out of the Portofino Bay hotel and made our way to Animal Kingdom. I had purchased LLMP and LLSP for FoP so that we wouldn’t feel the need to be there for the 7:30 early entry rope drop, especially since we were driving over from Universal.

The only good thing about LLMP & SP…. Not needing to get there early.

We entered the park a little before 9:00 dressed in raincoats and wearing Tevas. We headed straight to Asia to ride Expedition Everest, DS-28’s favorite ride. There was a 10 minute posted wait and we only waited 5. It was only lightly raining so it wasn’t too bad. Since the line was still short we immediately got back in line and rode a second time. From there we headed to Satu’li Canteen for breakfast. To no one’s surprise DH and I once again ordered the Tropical Pandoran Forest Fruits.

Delicious as always!

Luckily for you, the reader, our sons actually ordered something different so you can see something other than the yogurt dish. DS-26 ordered the Cinnamon French Toast: with Blueberry Cream Cheese, Passion Fruit Anglaise, and Sausage

He enjoyed this dish. He said the French toast and sausage were pretty standard but the blueberry cream cheese was very tasty. He wished there were more of it.

DS-28 ordered the Slow-roasted Pork Shoulder Potato Hash with Chorizo Sausage and Charred Onion Sauce

He loved this dish. At the end of our trip he mentioned it was one of the best things he ate all week. His only criticism was that he wished there was more of everything.

We have never eaten breakfast at AK. It looks yummy! I love a good French toast!

Once again we were impressed with breakfast at Satu’li Canteen and gave it an A.

After our breakfast, it was a little drizzly out but we had a LL for the Safari. What a great safari this ended up being! The best part was watching the elephants bathing in a large pool of water right next to our safari vehicle.

We got to sit on the savannah for quite a long time enjoying the giraffes due to some zebras that didn’t want to move out of the road. Eventually a cast member had to come out in a truck and bribed them with treats to get out of the way.

The lionesses were hunting from way up high.

Wow that was a great safari ride! Sometimes the crummier the weather the better!!

After a very long time on the safari, we headed next to the Feathered Friends in Flight show. The Cast Members mentioned that due to the rain there would be a modified show. It was definitely modified. They brought out one of the parrots who sang “how much is that doggie in the window” and that was it.

Even though we had already ridden Expedition Everest, we still had a Lightning Lane to use on it so we headed there after the Feathered Friends. This time it was raining a little harder and it hurt a bit as the rain pelted our faces but it was still very fun.

EE is my DH’s favorite ride. It’s a really good day when you can ride 4x!! With very little wait.

We took a walk through the Maharajah Jungle Trek and found this squatter in the bird section.

A squatter toad!!!

It was good weather for a toad.

DS-28 and I both thought since we were already very wet that it was a good day to ride Kali River Rapids. Good news! It was a walk on. DH and DS-26 decided to sit this one out. We had fun but it’s nowhere near as fun as the water rides at Universal. Disney needs to improve this ride.

I’ve only been on Kali a few times. You couldn’t get me on it in the rain!

We walked next through Gorilla Falls, but like the Maharajah Jungle Trek we didn’t see too many animals as they were taking shelter from the rain.

To take a break from the rain, we rode the train out to Rafiki’s Planet Watch and stayed on for the return trip.

I recently took a ride on the train to avoid a downpour.

I had purchased LLSP for Flight of Passage for all but DH so we headed to Pandora to ride that next. It was really raining hard while we were on the ride so DH hung out in the Gift Shop. The only problem was that the A/C was blasting. DH was already very wet and then got very cold in the gift shop. We had LLMP for the Navi River Journey so we rode that next. I was eager to point out the hidden Mickey in the shawl of the Shaman of Songs. Unfortunately she was in B mode. We’ve never had that happen before.

I can’t do FoP either. I did ride it a couple of times just to go with DH, but I close my eyes through most of it.

After we got off the ride, it was time for a treat. Our sons and I wanted to try the Night Blossom from Pongu Pongu but poor DH was so cold he said he definitely didn’t want a frozen drink. I suggested he buy a hot cocoa at Satu’li Canteen. So, we purchased our Night Blossoms while he went in search of hot cocoa.

I’m with your DH. I would’ve been searching out coffee or cocoa too!!

We all really enjoyed the Night Blossom but I definitely prefer the Berry Freeze from the Warung Outpost. DH was very happy with his hot cocoa, mostly because after holding it in his hands and drinking it he could finally feel his fingers again. He wished he had bought a hot cocoa sooner.

We watched the Finding Nemo show next and, since I had gotten a LLMP for it, we were able to sit in the front section. It’s definitely a better view from there. Our sons hadn’t seen the show before and they thought it was cute but not something they would need to see every time.

The boys liked that show when they were little. We haven’t seen it in a while.

We used our final LLMP for the day to ride Dinosaur for probably the last time. The previous time we rode it, it was very rough but this time it didn’t seem to be quite as jerky. We enjoyed it.

I like Dinosaur. I know a lot of people including DH complain about it being rough and jerky. Glad it was better this time.

We walked through Asia one more time and took our fourth ride on Expedition Everest, with only a ten minute wait. So fun!

As we made our way towards the exit of the park we spent some time walking through the Tree of Life Garden. Despite the rain we really enjoyed our day at Animal Kingdom. It was definitely the lowest crowds we have ever experienced at AK and we were able to do and see everything.

Yeah low crowds!!! It’s crazy!
I have 2 friends who visited WDW for the first time this summer. One went last month and the other is going next week. I told them both you don’t need to buy the LLMP. Even though it’s their first trips they weren’t going crazy bc they know they’ll be back.

We headed out of the park to go to the Poly for our family favorite must do meal at ‘Ohana. Since we hadn’t eaten lunch we were very ready for our meal!

Ohana!!

Up next the skies clear as we enjoy the Polynesian Resort.

 

[tinkerbellmagic]

Oh, kudos on a nice deal for a night at Portofino! Interesting how your sons ranked the three resorts with Hard Rock coming in last. Good to know. We stayed at Royal Pacific for two nights about 10 yrs ago. Would love to try Portofino some time! The rooms look more spacious than RP. You sure timed your trip right as far as beating the crowds for Epic.

Hysterical locker stories! What are the odds?
You do manage to capture the most adorable creature photos! That frog!

Congrats on your fitness efforts with the ease of getting in and out of Dudley Doo-Right’s Ripsaw Falls! It’s those types of rewards that make your hard work pay off and give you incentive to keep it up, which you guys sure do!

That was weird how Doctor Penelope and her robot just passed by your table without stopping.

Hmmmm, I see there is a new mystery avatar dessert.

 

[mickey916]

Isn’t that always the way in Florida!? My DH is always telling me not to stress about the forecast bc it is going to change. Usually like your trip for the better.

Not gonna lie, this time had me quite nervous! A few days before the boys arrived the weatherman was saying we'd be getting much needed rain with every day getting several inches. I know we could still have fun but I felt bad they might be spending their hard earned vacation time with 10 days of rain. We were very relieved it ended up only being 1.

The only good thing about LLMP & SP…. Not needing to get there early.

For sure!

We have never eaten breakfast at AK. It looks yummy! I love a good French toast!

It's relatively new at Satu'li Canteen but very good! We had an even yummier French toast later in the week at a surprising location.

Wow that was a great safari ride! Sometimes the crummier the weather the better!!

True. I think our best Safari rides have been in the rain.

EE is my DH’s favorite ride. It’s a really good day when you can ride 4x!! With very little wait.

It was great (except for the one time the rain was pelting us in the face). haha!

A squatter toad!!!

I was so happy I was able to catch that photo before he disappeared.

I’ve only been on Kali a few times. You couldn’t get me on it in the rain!

We did end up getting even wetter!

I recently took a ride on the train to avoid a downpour.

It's a great escape!

I can’t do FoP either. I did ride it a couple of times just to go with DH, but I close my eyes through most of it.

That's too bad. I love it but DH has never been able to do it. Screens and him are not a good mix.

I’m with your DH. I would’ve been searching out coffee or cocoa too!!

The cocoa was just the powdery kind mixed with water but he thought it was fabulous at that point!

The boys liked that show when they were little. We haven’t seen it in a while.

We like the puppets a lot. My boys weren't as impressed as we were.

I like Dinosaur. I know a lot of people including DH complain about it being rough and jerky. Glad it was better this time.

It was much better this time. I don't know why the previous time it was so rough.

Yeah low crowds!!! It’s crazy!
I have 2 friends who visited WDW for the first time this summer. One went last month and the other is going next week. I told them both you don’t need to buy the LLMP. Even though it’s their first trips they weren’t going crazy bc they know they’ll be back.

That always makes such a difference knowing you don't have to squeeze everything in.

Ohana!!

We do too! The best!

 

[mickey916]

Oh, kudos on a nice deal for a night at Portofino! Interesting how your sons ranked the three resorts with Hard Rock coming in last. Good to know. We stayed at Royal Pacific for two nights about 10 yrs ago. Would love to try Portofino some time! The rooms look more spacious than RP. You sure timed your trip right as far as beating the crowds for Epic.

The room was huge! The last three times I always choose the cheapest of the three premium hotels. Usually Portofino was the most expensive but this time it was $200 less than both Hard Rock and Royal Pacific. I was wondering if it was due to ongoing refurbishment but it appeared that had been completed in December.

Hysterical locker stories! What are the odds?

I couldn't believe it when that kid slammed it shut. His mom looked at him and said "Did you just shut that locker on them?" The kid said "yeah" and she said "why did you do that?" "I dunno"...haha typical kid answer. She never said a word to us though, nor did I to them. I don't think he did it to be bad he just saw it open up and closed it. I just went and found an attendant as usual, haha!

You do manage to capture the most adorable creature photos! That frog!

I love that photo too!

Congrats on your fitness efforts with the ease of getting in and out of Dudley Doo-Right’s Ripsaw Falls! It’s those types of rewards that make your hard work pay off and give you incentive to keep it up, which you guys sure do!

Thanks! I was pleasantly surprised at the difference!

That was weird how Doctor Penelope and her robot just passed by your table without stopping.

It really was! I thought at first maybe they only stopped at tables with kids but they stopped at other tables of adults after they passed us.

Hmmmm, I see there is a new mystery avatar dessert.

That mystery won't last long...it's coming up soon! I'll have to find a new mystery avatar.

 

[ddluvsdisney]

Hmmmm, I see there is a new mystery avatar dessert.

You have a good eye!! I didn’t even notice until I saw your comment.

That mystery won't last long...it's coming up soon! I'll have to find a new mystery avatar.

Can’t wait to find out!

 

[mickey916]

5/12 An Evening of Fun at the Poly​

We arrived at the Polynesian a little ahead of our ADR and the skies had finally cleared. We walked around the resort and as we were walking by the fire pit, they were just starting to roast marshmallows. They asked us if we wanted to join in so we had a dinner appetizer of roasted marshmallows.

It was very fun!

After our treat, we headed to ‘Ohana to check in and were seated fairly quickly. We started with the Signature ‘Ohana bread and honey butter along with the Mixed Greens salad with Citrus Vinaigrette.

We love this pineapple coconut bread served warm with honey butter. So good!

The salad is good, nice and fresh vegetables but pretty basic. I do like the citrus vinaigrette.

Our server promptly brought the skillet of sides, arguably the best part of the meal with the exception of dessert.

Skillet: 'Ohana Noodles with Mirin-Teriyaki, Stir-fried Vegetables, Honey-Coriander Chicken Wings, Pork Dumplings Tossed In Garlic-Chili Sauce

Everything on this skillet was just so incredible! The noodles had a sweet sticky sauce as did the honey coriander wings which were perfectly crispy. The pot stickers were nicely seasoned with pork filling. Even the stir-fried veggies were good. We ended up “needing” a refill of this whole skillet.

We also in fairly quick succession received a skillet of Wood Fire-grilled Black Pepper-Mirin-Teriyaki Beef, a skillet of Peel-n-Eat Shrimp coated with 'Ohana Seasoning, and a skillet of Grilled Chicken with Guava-Pineapple Glaze (which we ate before I got a photo but here’s a photo of it from April 2024).

We were so eager to eat we had a few pieces of beef and shrimp before I got my photos. The beef can be hit or miss in terms of texture but all of our beef this time was perfectly cooked and not at all chewy. Everyone liked the guava pineapple sauce on the perfectly grilled chicken thighs and my sons and I love the seasoning on the shrimp as well. DH doesn’t usually eat shrimp and he was content to eat all the other options. Everything on this particular visit was cooked and seasoned to perfection. We absolutely loved all of it.

Last but certainly not least, we were served the ‘Ohana Bread pudding À la mode with Homemade Caramel Sauce

I didn’t get a good photo of the dessert but fortunately our server actually brought us a second one so I was able to capture this photo of it in all its glory (with the remnants of the first one in the background).

The vanilla bean ice cream is creamy and deliciously contrasts with the caramel sauce and pineapple bread pudding. Such a great dessert to end a phenomenal meal.

I was telling my youngest son yesterday I was writing this part of the report and he said “Basically the whole reason I bought a flight to Orlando was to have this meal and I’ll do it every chance I get.” DH has said on a number of occasions that the price tag for this meal, at $65 per person plus tax and gratuity is absolutely worth it. I know ‘Ohana gets a lot of mixed reviews but it is absolutely my family’s favorite meal anywhere. It gets an A+!

Greatly satisfied, we headed to check into our last Orlando hotel for this trip, the Walt Disney World Swan.

We stayed here as a family back in 2022 and I was happy to get a great AP discount to stay here again. We just love the Swan resort and the Boardwalk area. We were eager to see the newly refurbished rooms.

With the AP discount, I had booked a no view room but we were pleasantly surprised to learn that we were upgraded to a “resort view” room due to DH’s Platinum Marriott status. DH loved the view from our room. We could see the Tower of Terror, the Beach Club Resort, and the Boardwalk hotel from our room.

Here’s a photo of the refurbished room.

I didn’t take a picture but we loved having an additional sink outside of the bathroom area. It makes it so much easier for four adults to get ready.

After we checked into the room, our sons spent some time enjoying the Boardwalk, as I had hoped they would do. After all the planning and scheduling, even with the rain at AK, everything was going as perfectly as I imagined it to go.

Total steps: 25057

Up next…Epcot and our sons first time on Guardians!

 

[IDSkinner]

I was telling my youngest son yesterday I was writing this part of the report and he said “Basically the whole reason I bought a flight to Orlando was to have this meal and I’ll do it every chance I get.” DH has said on a number of occasions that the price tag for this meal, at $65 per person plus tax and gratuity is absolutely worth it. I know ‘Ohana gets a lot of mixed reviews but it is absolutely my family’s favorite meal anywhere. It gets an A+!

Uh, we've NEVER eaten there and after these pictures and review I wonder how is that possible? Looks fantastic in every way. October, here we come!!!!

 

[ddluvsdisney]

5/12 An Evening of Fun at the Poly​

We arrived at the Polynesian a little ahead of our ADR and the skies had finally cleared. We walked around the resort and as we were walking by the fire pit, they were just starting to roast marshmallows. They asked us if we wanted to join in so we had a dinner appetizer of roasted marshmallows.

That was nice that the CM’s asked you to join!

It was very fun!

After our treat, we headed to ‘Ohana to check in and were seated fairly quickly. We started with the Signature ‘Ohana bread and honey butter along with the Mixed Greens salad with Citrus Vinaigrette.

We love this pineapple coconut bread served warm with honey butter. So good!

The salad is good, nice and fresh vegetables but pretty basic. I do like the citrus vinaigrette.

Our server promptly brought the skillet of sides, arguably the best part of the meal with the exception of dessert.

Skillet: 'Ohana Noodles with Mirin-Teriyaki, Stir-fried Vegetables, Honey-Coriander Chicken Wings, Pork Dumplings Tossed In Garlic-Chili Sauce

Everything on this skillet was just so incredible! The noodles had a sweet sticky sauce as did the honey coriander wings which were perfectly crispy. The pot stickers were nicely seasoned with pork filling. Even the stir-fried veggies were good. We ended up “needing” a refill of this whole skillet.

We also in fairly quick succession received a skillet of Wood Fire-grilled Black Pepper-Mirin-Teriyaki Beef, a skillet of Peel-n-Eat Shrimp coated with 'Ohana Seasoning, and a skillet of Grilled Chicken with Guava-Pineapple Glaze (which we ate before I got a photo but here’s a photo of it from April 2024).

We were so eager to eat we had a few pieces of beef and shrimp before I got my photos. The beef can be hit or miss in terms of texture but all of our beef this time was perfectly cooked and not at all chewy. Everyone liked the guava pineapple sauce on the perfectly grilled chicken thighs and my sons and I love the seasoning on the shrimp as well. DH doesn’t usually eat shrimp and he was content to eat all the other options. Everything on this particular visit was cooked and seasoned to perfection. We absolutely loved all of it.

We also love Ohana although there have been times that not everything was cooked perfectly. You lucked out this time!

Last but certainly not least, we were served the ‘Ohana Bread pudding À la mode with Homemade Caramel Sauce

I didn’t get a good photo of the dessert but fortunately our server actually brought us a second one so I was able to capture this photo of it in all its glory (with the remnants of the first one in the background).

The vanilla bean ice cream is creamy and deliciously contrasts with the caramel sauce and pineapple bread pudding. Such a great dessert to end a phenomenal meal.

The bread pudding is hands down my favorite dessert anywhere… home or Disney!!
During our last trip we sat at Tambu lounge and ordered it with some drinks right before fireworks. We have eaten at the bar several times they have some of the same food.

I was telling my youngest son yesterday I was writing this part of the report and he said “Basically the whole reason I bought a flight to Orlando was to have this meal and I’ll do it every chance I get.” DH has said on a number of occasions that the price tag for this meal, at $65 per person plus tax and gratuity is absolutely worth it. I know ‘Ohana gets a lot of mixed reviews but it is absolutely my family’s favorite meal anywhere. It gets an A+!

I totally agree with him!! Haha

Greatly satisfied, we headed to check into our last Orlando hotel for this trip, the Walt Disney World Swan.

We stayed here as a family back in 2022 and I was happy to get a great AP discount to stay here again. We just love the Swan resort and the Boardwalk area. We were eager to see the newly refurbished rooms.

With the AP discount, I had booked a no view room but we were pleasantly surprised to learn that we were upgraded to a “resort view” room due to DH’s Platinum Marriott status. DH loved the view from our room. We could see the Tower of Terror, the Beach Club Resort, and the Boardwalk hotel from our room.

The AP discounts were really good this year.
Yay for Platinum Marriott status!!
This view sounds amazing do you have a picture??

Here’s a photo of the refurbished room.

I didn’t take a picture but we loved having an additional sink outside of the bathroom area. It makes it so much easier for four adults to get ready.

After we checked into the room, our sons spent some time enjoying the Boardwalk, as I had hoped they would do. After all the planning and scheduling, even with the rain at AK, everything was going as perfectly as I imagined it to go.

What a great first day with the boys!!!

Total steps: 25057

Up next…Epcot and our sons first time on Guardians!

So excited for their reaction to Guardians!!!

 

[mickey916]

Uh, we've NEVER eaten there and after these pictures and review I wonder how is that possible? Looks fantastic in every way. October, here we come!!!!

@IDSkinner I hope you enjoy it as much as we have!

 

[mickey916]

That was nice that the CM’s asked you to join!

It was! I didn't know if it were only for Poly guests so we've never tried before, but since she asked...

We also love Ohana although there have been times that not everything was cooked perfectly. You lucked out this time!

We have had that happen too. Once our noodles weren't warm and the beef can sometimes be tough. We just asked for more noodles that time and the next time they were warm. When beef is tough we just don't eat it. There's so much else to enjoy!

The bread pudding is hands down my favorite dessert anywhere… home or Disney!!
During our last trip we sat at Tambu lounge and ordered it with some drinks right before fireworks. We have eaten at the bar several times they have some of the same food.

We did that on one trip and it's a great alternative if you just can't get an ADR or don't want the big price tag of 'Ohana.

I totally agree with him!! Haha

He's a smart kid! Haha.

The AP discounts were really good this year.

Yes they were! I'm looking at next May at the Swan and so far they're not good yet.

Yay for Platinum Marriott status!!

Yes. When we came home from Florida this time we were 8 nights short to retain his Platinum status for next year. So, now we're booked at the Residence Inn for October, problem solved...lol!

This view sounds amazing do you have a picture??

No. I asked DH and he said his pictures were blurry so he deleted them. He does have a video though. I'm going to see if I can extract a photo from that.

What a great first day with the boys!!!

It was great!

So excited for their reaction to Guardians!!!

I couldn't wait for them to ride it with me! When we went in 2022 it was open for passholder previews so only I got to ride it. Then in 2024 they only stayed a couple days and we didn't make it to Epcot. I was so excited for them to experience it!

 

[Deb1993]

5/11 Universal Studios/Islands of Adventure​

We awoke early and checked out of the hotel. I had made a one night reservation at Portofino Bay so that we could get Express Passes. We’ve previously stayed at the Hard Rock and Royal Pacific hotels but, for some reason, this time Portofino Bay was substantially cheaper. We were excited to see what it was like. When we arrived at check in, the line wasn’t too long so we got our room key (express passes) and headed to the park. It was the week before the official opening of Epic Universe and I was counting on low crowds as I figured most people would be waiting until Epic opened to make their trips.

We went to Islands of Adventure first and the boys rode Hulk. DH doesn’t ride coasters and Hulk makes my neck hurt so I hung out with DH while they rode. DS-28, DS-26 and I then rode Velocicoaster. The first time I rode it I think I must have closed my eyes because I never saw the dinosaurs. This time I made sure to look around and appreciate the theming. It’s an intense but fun coaster.

We headed next to Seuss Landing so we could ride something as family. We love the theming in this area.

View attachment 988970

We rode the Cat in the Hat and the High in the Sky Trolley ride. The lines app indicated it was a good time to ride Hagrid’s so the boys and I headed to Hogsmeade and got in the standby line. (Express passes weren’t working yet on that ride.) DH spent the time exploring Hogsmeade. As we were on the final hill in the caves our motorcycles stopped for a few minutes. As we exited the ride the team members told us we could ride again since it had stopped on us. We were more than happy to get on again!

By this time it was time for lunch so we headed to Circus McGurkus Cafe Stoo-Pendous. The three men all ordered the Roast Beast sandwich: mushroom meatloaf, shaved ribeye, cheddar cheese, crispy onions, secret sauce on a pretzel bun with curly fries.

View attachment 988971

They had ordered it last year and loved it so much they wanted it again. They all really enjoyed this sandwich but thought it wasn’t served warm enough. They loved their curly fries too.

I ordered the Tamed Dragon salad: red dragon fruit, red quinoa, raspberries, mandarin oranges, almonds, baby spinach, cucumber and guava vinaigrette

View attachment 988980

It was a beautiful looking salad but I got tired of it as I was eating it. It was also missing some sort of protein. My sons asked me what I thought and I said it was too much spinach. They sufficiently harassed me for being surprised that my spinach salad had a lot of spinach. It was fine but nothing I would get again.

Circus McGurkus was a fun place to eat and the food was decent. It was cool to see the trolley go through as we ate our meal. We gave our meal a B-.

After our meal we decided to take another ride on the High in the Sky Trolley ride. We didn’t realize that there were two different tracks with two different narrations. It was fun to experience both.

Next we headed to Toon Lagoon to ride some water rides. I have a funny story about the lockers. Here’s a little background: The first time we went in 2010 we rented a locker, put our clothes and wallets in the locker and headed off to ride the water rides. When we got back to our locker, we had gone over the allotted time and I had to pay additional money to open the locker. The problem was all of our money was in the locker. I had to go find an attendant to open the locker to get my wallet so I could pay the fee. The next time we went, I kept trying to pay to open a locker and the kiosk wouldn’t work. I had to go find an attendant and he told me “oh yeah that kiosk never works, you need to use the one over there.”

So, this time I said to my family, “I’m going to get a locker this time and not have to find an attendant.” Famous last words…How the system works is once you pay, a locker door automatically swings open to your assigned locker. So, I paid for our locker and a door swung open. There was a 12-ish year old boy standing in front of that locker and as he saw the door swing open he leaned back and slammed the door shut. I had now paid for a locker without having put any stuff in it. I scanned to reopen the locker so we could put our things in but then the screen said “your rental has ended”. So, once again I had to go find an attendant to fix our locker issue. Next year I’ll get it right for sure!

My family’s favorite rides at IoA are the water rides. We first rode Dudley Doo-Right’s Ripsaw Falls. Since I am by far the shortest in the family (everyone else is 6’ tall), the ride operators always make me ride in the front. I dread getting in and out of the front seat of that log. However, to my pleasant surprise, with my weight loss and fitness efforts since last year it was way easier to get in and out this time. My boys have no idea who any of the characters are on this ride but they love it.

We took a ride on Bluto’s Bilge-rat Barges then the Jurassic River Adventure and one more ride on Dudley Doo-Rights before returning to our locker and retrieving our stuff before the locker rental ran out.

It was time for us to head over to Universal Studios so we took a ride on the Hogwarts Express.

View attachment 988981

Once in Diagon Alley, the boys and I got in line for Gringotts. There was some sort of issue with a guest that temporarily shut down the ride. We ended up waiting a long time in line but eventually got on the ride.

We headed next to the Leaky Cauldron for some hot butterbeer.

View attachment 988982

My sons and DH all love the hot butterbeer best. This was my first time trying the hot version. I liked it a lot but I still think I prefer frozen. We gave butterbeer an A.

After our treat, the boys rode Rip Ride Rocket for one last time before it closed. I opted not to ride since this one also hurts my head. The boys and I rode Despicable Me Minion Mayhem for our first time. It didn’t really make a lot of sense to us but it was kinda fun.

We had time for one last ride before dinner so the four of us rode ET. We like it, especially for the nostalgia and it’s also one of the few things we can do with DH.

As I had hoped, the crowds were very manageable and we rode pretty much everything we wanted to ride in both IoA and US, with the exception of Revenge of the Mummy. We probably didn’t really need the Express Pass but it saved us a few minutes in each line. It was a great day in the Universal parks.

Up next…having dinner at Toothsome Emporium for the first time.

OMG I cracked up because the harassment over the salad is something my boys would definitely do to me. I am loving your trip report.