dreamin'boutdis
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Mar 13, 2010
- Messages
- 174
We chose to sleep in this day as our trip was beginning to wind down, and we were getting tired. It was Labor Day, so we expected the parks to be pretty busy, and we were right. We spent about an hour at the Volcano Pool, then finally made our was to Animal Kingdom around 11. We had hoped to have time to ride Expedition Everest before our 12:15 ADR at Tiffins, but EE landed up being down for most of the day. We walked leisurely and took a few Photopass pictures before arriving at Tiffins at 12:05.
After checking in on the app, we were approached by the hostess who asked us to check in on the app
. When I told her that I already had, she looked confused and walked away. A funny tidbit - while we were waiting, a family of 3 came up and asked if they were taking walk ins. The hostess said "Yes, it'll be about a 5 minute wait while we get your table ready." The dad rolled his eyes and muttered something about that being too long and they left! I'm still confused and amused about the whole thing! Anyway, after a few minutes, we were called and being led to our table in the little back room beyond Nomad Lounge. I really missed the beautiful carvings, animals, and general atmosphere of the main dining room. This is the second time we've been seated in the back room, it's fine, but kind of blah. Next time, I'm going to request a table in the main room, even if we have to wait longer.
To drink, Eric ordered a Lamu Libation:
Starr African Rum, Cruzan Banana Rum, Guava Purée, Tropical Juices, Gosling's 151 Rum Float. I was feeling a little overheated, so I stuck with iced tea (boring!).
He really enjoyed his drink. I had a couple sips and it was really tasty, but seemed a little heavy. A bit too much guava puree for my taste.
Eric didn't see anything on the appetizer menu that called to him, so I chose Spiced Chickpea Falafel:
Mint-Pistachio Pesto, Cumin-scented Garlic Raita, Pickled Vegetables
This was good, but not great. I preferred Skipper Canteen's falafel. Overall, the dish was tasty as a whole, but the falafel itself was severely lacking in texture. It was just very mushy, I almost couldn't tell if I was eating chickpeas or mashed potatoes. The plate was saved by the pesto, raita, and pickled carrots. I'm not sure if I would order this again.
Eric remembered how much he had enjoyed the Tea service here in the past, so he ordered a press pot. Sadly, because of Covid, the tea service which used feature a large wooden box presented at your table to make your selection, a press pot made at your table, two kinds of sugar cubes, cream, etc. is now the server reading a short list of available teas and bringing a press pot to your table with some sugar and splenda packets. The tea was fine, but he really missed having the overall experience.
For my entree, I wavered between the Surf and Turf and what I eventually chose, Shrimp and Grits. My initial instinct was to order the Surf and Turf, because... meat. But knowing how hot and crowded the park was, along with the fact that I was almost certainly having the filet at California Grill that night, I decided to take the lighter alternative.
Shrimp and Grits:
Anson Mills Grits, Applewood-smoked Bacon, Heirloom Tomatoes, Smoked Pepper Jam.
This was delicious! The shrimp was cooked perfectly and nicely seasoned. Grits were delicious and creamy. There was a slight taste of bacon, not overpowering. I didn't pick up much of the smoked pepper jam flavor, but I felt like the plate was well balanced and not too heavy, which is exactly what I wanted. Side note: somebody at a table near us got the Surf and Turf while we were eating and it smelled HEAVENLY.
I'm going to make an admission here... my husband can a little odd. He wanted me to make an ADR at Tiffins specifically because he wanted to eat "something braised". Yes, really.
When it came time to choose his entree, there was only one thing that caught his eye, Tamarind-braised Short Rib:
Parsnip-Potato Purée, Cauliflower, Cipollini Onion, Medjool Date Vinaigrette
He really really enjoyed this! The braised beef was fall-apart tender and paired perfectly with the tamarind sauce. The date vinaigrette added a smidge of sweetness that really complimented everything on the plate. I didn't try the vegetables, but Eric said they were all well cooked and delicious.
Nothing on the dessert menu really called to us, so we decided to skip it. I know you're probably shocked by that... I'm still a little surprised!
After settling our bill, we made our way back out into the park. Unfortunately, Expedition Everest was still down and it had gotten even more crowded while we were eating lunch, so we decided to head back to the Poly and hang out at the resort for a while.
Up next: Dinner at California Grill
After checking in on the app, we were approached by the hostess who asked us to check in on the app
. When I told her that I already had, she looked confused and walked away. A funny tidbit - while we were waiting, a family of 3 came up and asked if they were taking walk ins. The hostess said "Yes, it'll be about a 5 minute wait while we get your table ready." The dad rolled his eyes and muttered something about that being too long and they left! I'm still confused and amused about the whole thing! Anyway, after a few minutes, we were called and being led to our table in the little back room beyond Nomad Lounge. I really missed the beautiful carvings, animals, and general atmosphere of the main dining room. This is the second time we've been seated in the back room, it's fine, but kind of blah. Next time, I'm going to request a table in the main room, even if we have to wait longer.To drink, Eric ordered a Lamu Libation:
Starr African Rum, Cruzan Banana Rum, Guava Purée, Tropical Juices, Gosling's 151 Rum Float. I was feeling a little overheated, so I stuck with iced tea (boring!).
He really enjoyed his drink. I had a couple sips and it was really tasty, but seemed a little heavy. A bit too much guava puree for my taste.
Eric didn't see anything on the appetizer menu that called to him, so I chose Spiced Chickpea Falafel:
Mint-Pistachio Pesto, Cumin-scented Garlic Raita, Pickled Vegetables
This was good, but not great. I preferred Skipper Canteen's falafel. Overall, the dish was tasty as a whole, but the falafel itself was severely lacking in texture. It was just very mushy, I almost couldn't tell if I was eating chickpeas or mashed potatoes. The plate was saved by the pesto, raita, and pickled carrots. I'm not sure if I would order this again.
Eric remembered how much he had enjoyed the Tea service here in the past, so he ordered a press pot. Sadly, because of Covid, the tea service which used feature a large wooden box presented at your table to make your selection, a press pot made at your table, two kinds of sugar cubes, cream, etc. is now the server reading a short list of available teas and bringing a press pot to your table with some sugar and splenda packets. The tea was fine, but he really missed having the overall experience.
For my entree, I wavered between the Surf and Turf and what I eventually chose, Shrimp and Grits. My initial instinct was to order the Surf and Turf, because... meat. But knowing how hot and crowded the park was, along with the fact that I was almost certainly having the filet at California Grill that night, I decided to take the lighter alternative.
Shrimp and Grits:
Anson Mills Grits, Applewood-smoked Bacon, Heirloom Tomatoes, Smoked Pepper Jam.
This was delicious! The shrimp was cooked perfectly and nicely seasoned. Grits were delicious and creamy. There was a slight taste of bacon, not overpowering. I didn't pick up much of the smoked pepper jam flavor, but I felt like the plate was well balanced and not too heavy, which is exactly what I wanted. Side note: somebody at a table near us got the Surf and Turf while we were eating and it smelled HEAVENLY.
I'm going to make an admission here... my husband can a little odd. He wanted me to make an ADR at Tiffins specifically because he wanted to eat "something braised". Yes, really.
When it came time to choose his entree, there was only one thing that caught his eye, Tamarind-braised Short Rib:Parsnip-Potato Purée, Cauliflower, Cipollini Onion, Medjool Date Vinaigrette
He really really enjoyed this! The braised beef was fall-apart tender and paired perfectly with the tamarind sauce. The date vinaigrette added a smidge of sweetness that really complimented everything on the plate. I didn't try the vegetables, but Eric said they were all well cooked and delicious.
Nothing on the dessert menu really called to us, so we decided to skip it. I know you're probably shocked by that... I'm still a little surprised!
After settling our bill, we made our way back out into the park. Unfortunately, Expedition Everest was still down and it had gotten even more crowded while we were eating lunch, so we decided to head back to the Poly and hang out at the resort for a while.
Up next: Dinner at California Grill
.
. He chose Valrhona Chocolate Cake with vanilla bean ice cream, milk chocolate whipped panna cotta, pretzel crunch.
And $17 for pudding cake 
Just when I think I am used to Disney prices ...
), and it was pricey. Because I'm also a glutton for punishment, I added up all the receipts for our food and it was FAR more than we would have spent for the dining plan - or even the deluxe dining plan 
