A Little Sour, but a Lot of Fun: Spring Break 2019 DR *Updated 11/17 Complete!

[TeresaNJ]

Oh my gosh, your Asher playground story had me . We have four little grandsons, ages 7, 6, 5, and 9 months, and I can just see one of them doing this. We def have the same tastes, as we love Boma, Sanaa, and Yak & Yeti! They are three of our favorite restaurants on property. Sorry about your pork allergy. That stinks. Yours is the second bad review I've read today of the poutine fries at the Nomad Lounge, which is really a coincidence. The other review was on IG by ChefTodd55.

 

[kastoney]

Lost on Safari
Starr African Rum and Captain Morgan Original Spiced Rum with our refreshing Pangani Punch --$12.75

I'll have to give this one a whirl. I don't drink a lot of rum but if you say its good then I'm in

While I rode EE solo, Chad and Asher ate some fries from Mr. Kamal’s and they were still the old version, which we loved. I don’t know how I feel about the new plain version with sauce assortment. I really liked the tzatziki and sriracha sauces.

I had no idea they changed these. What did they do? I'm guessing something the "masses" will like vice actually serving something interesting

Night Monkey
Bacardi Gran Reserva Maestro Rum, Guava Purée, Coffee Simple Syrup, and Lime Juice with a hint of Cilantro--$11.25

I don't think I've ever even noticed this on the menu. Again not a big rum fan, but this totally looks like something up Jasons alley

Wagyu Beef Sliders
Tomato-Pear Jam, Yucca Fries --$16.00

These were pretty good and we mainly ordered these because it was something Asher would eat.

Oh I've been dying to try these, mainly for the yucca, which I LOVE. I was wondering if they'd just do a side of yuca instead of ordering the sliders.

These have great potential because the flavors are awesome, but my order was COLD. And the sauce and cheese were all congealed and created blobs of fries

Oh no, that is no good at all. When we had them they were at least hot, they just seemed to forget the truffle so they didn't have a ton of flavor. I seriously hope this trend does not continue.

It was a nice, relaxing dinner at Nomad Lounge. I just love sitting outside there when the weather is nice, it’s something special.

Looks like we were in the exact same mode on our last posts. Its so easy to forgive issue when you are outside enjoying such a lovely evening.

we may have even skipped brushing his teeth. The horror!

Mom police is gonna come for you

 

[lvcourtneyy]

Joining in!

 

[nco91590]

I was dying to try the poutine.

This is an absolute abomination! I'm actually offended over this poutine lol! I'm so glad you were able to enjoy the rest of your meal tho

 

[Hettie]

Day 5 – April 3​

After our late (for us) evening, we tried to sleep in, which means we still probably woke up at 7 am thanks to Asher. We didn’t have any breakfast plans and I wasn’t in the mood for the typical Disney breakfast offerings, so I looked on Yelp for off-site restaurants. I found Sofrito Latin Café close by with good reviews and empanadas sounded pretty great for breakfast, so off we went.

We arrived and looked over the menu. At this restaurant, you place your order at the counter and then someone brings the food out when it’s ready. The place has a pleasant atmosphere, relaxed with some personality.

Chad needed more caffeine and started with a Cubano, no sugar. It was done perfectly.



I had a mimosa, I think it was guava, one of my favorites.



Chad and I each had an empanada, forgot to take a photo.

Colombian Empanada GF
Fried corn-flour empanada filled with beef, potatoes & spices. (Colombia) $2.25

They were delicious, I could have just eaten a plate of those for breakfast. And I love that they have many gluten-free options that are marked on the menu.

Asher had a huge breakfast…



Dos Huevos Desayuno
Two eggs your way, applewood bacon, fried yucca & Cuban toast. (Sofrito Special) --$8.00

He liked his food and it was such a huge amount that Chad and I helped him out and we still didn’t finish it all.

Chad and I shared a breakfast entrée, which was the right call given the portion sizes.



Desayuno Criollo GF
Shredded beef, black beans, two fried eggs, three fried mini arepas & crema. (Venezuela) --$12.25

This was exactly what I wanted, along with the empanadas. Everything was cooked perfectly and served up fresh.

It was a super breakfast, I loved the restaurant and I highly recommend it if you can go off-site. I hope to go back to try their lunch and dinner offerings.

Last year was the vacation of “fighting in the bathroom” and this year was meal-time shenanigans and frustration as a result. I think we hit our peak at this particular breakfast and I was barely able to hide it in this photo op:



For whatever reason, Asher decided that this trip was the perfect opportunity to assert his authority during meals. This unfortunate phase continued once we got home and finally seems to be winding down now that it is back-to-school time. Let’s hope that’s the end of it, I cherish my restaurant experiences.

Since it was a beautiful, cool morning, we decided to grant Asher’s wish of Pirate Cove Mini Golf after breakfast. A fun time was had by all…but mostly Asher.



Up next, dinner at The Boathouse!

 

[goofy78]

Looking forward to your Boathouse review. My son really wants to fit it in on our trip in October. Maybe you’ll convince me!

 

[Hettie]

Since I'm struggling to even finish this report, I've been absolutely terrible about replying to comments. I appreciate all the comments and I've tried to at least "like" them all, but I think I just discovered a batch that I neglected. I've read them all though and thanks to everyone that's following along.

 

[ThreeBoyMama]

That breakfast definitely looked like a nice change of pace from the standard Disney fare! Looking forward to your Boathouse review--it's one of our faves.

 

[Hettie]

Day 5 continued…

After our pirate-y golf adventures, I spent the afternoon doing laundry which made me miss the free laundry facilities with DVC---I spent $12 doing just two loads of laundry! I can’t remember what Asher and Chad did while I did laundry, probably walked around the hotel or something. We didn’t eat lunch, just had some snacks, so we ended up going to The Boathouse for a very early dinner around 4:00 pm.

We sat inside because it looked like most of the tables outside were in the sun at that time of day, but I would love to go back and sit outside. It was nice inside when we first arrived, but got noisier as more dinner guests arrived and I could tell that it would be very loud when the restaurant is full.
I took a photo of the wine list again, I guess because it’s my favorite part of the menu.



I went with a glass of the Poema Cava Brut which was dry and refreshing.



We enjoyed the yeasty rolls with whipped butter.



I couldn’t figure out why my photos were looking so washed out and started using Chad’s phone to take photos. Later I realized that I had smeared sunblock over the lens.

I had looked at the menu for this restaurant many times and always found several appetizers or small plates that I wanted to try, but I haven’t been super interested in the entrees. Fortunately Chad liked the sound of the items I had in mind, so we shared those.

We started with a raw bar item:



Jumbo Lump Crab and Avocado
Tarragon Remoulade --$15.00

Very nice and fresh tasting, with a sizeable mound of lumb crabmeat. It was an excellent salad to start the meal, I would definitely have this again.

Then we shared one of my favorite dishes:



Blue Star Angus Carpaccio
Arugula, Olive Oil, Shaved Grana Padano, Capers --$18.00

We had already scooped a small portion off the plate, it looked prettier when it showed up. I think this was the best carpaccio I’ve ever tasted. The flavor of the steak was just phenomenal, and the accompaniments didn’t overpower. I would go back just for this dish and some bubbly.

Asher had this adorable little amphicar of food:



He had the kids nuggets with fruit and the server was very accommodating to make sure we got fruit that he would like, which was strawberries. The chicken nuggets were gourmet quality, I may have sneaked one for myself. I don’t see the nuggets on the menu now, but I do see popcorn shrimp, which Asher would love.

Chad and I split a “bucket” for our main dish:



Fried Wild Caught Atlantic Surf Clam Strips
served with Tartar Sauce, Lemon, and Fresh-cut Fries --$16.00

I think they split the dish for us in the kitchen because that portion looks small and I don’t remember thinking it was small. We upgraded the fries to truffle fries with lemon aioli, YUM. The clams were very tender, fresh and cooked to perfection, another winner.

We really enjoyed our meal and the service was top-notch. They’re serious about it there, we saw one of the servers polishing the legs of one of her tables, including all the chairs, in between guests. We’ll definitely return and probably have the same type of dishes for our meal because it was perfect for us.

We roamed around Disney Springs for awhile, of course with a stop to ride the silly train:



We headed back to the hotel early so that we could get the boy in bed and all be rested for our EMH morning at Epcot the next day. I did snag one of these to eat on the balcony.



That’s my favorite Sprinkles cupcake: vanilla with vanilla frosting and sprinkles. Super basic, but sometimes simplicity is just the way to go.

Up next, Epcot and lunch at Spice Road Table!

 

[Hettie]

Looking forward to your Boathouse review. My son really wants to fit it in on our trip in October. Maybe you’ll convince me!

Have I convinced you??? We didn't have a huge selection of items, but what we had was pretty great. Sit outside if you can though, October should be good for that.

That breakfast definitely looked like a nice change of pace from the standard Disney fare! Looking forward to your Boathouse review--it's one of our faves.

We loved it, will definitely return. Do you have any trips planned? We were thinking about Thanksgiving, but not sure we're feeling it.

 

[ThreeBoyMama]

We loved it, will definitely return. Do you have any trips planned? We were thinking about Thanksgiving, but not sure we're feeling it.

I had that crab and avocado salad on our last trip and loved it as well! And yes! Sean and I are going from Sept. 13-21

 

[goofy78]

Have I convinced you??? We didn't have a huge selection of items, but what we had was pretty great. Sit outside if you can though, October should be good for that.

While everything looked great, I'm not quite sure! I love carpaccio so that would be a must. I don't know how we could go and not try the award-winning burger. I loooove a good burger! If time permits, we may try t get there for a light bite and of course a drink. Glad you enjoyed it!

 

[kastoney]

Looks like a great meal at the Boathouse. You all had the exact same thing I did on our one trip there: Fried Clams and Truffle Fries. I'm a total sucker for both. I must have missed the carpaccio though because that looks SO GOOD!!!! Will have to try that next time we are there.

 

[itsherhappyplace]

Day 3​

I was excited to sleep in, but of course Asher won’t let anyone sleep past 7 am. I think he may have slept until 7:30 that morning, which is a small miracle. We had a lazy start to the morning since we had a 10:15 breakfast ADR at Boma. I figured we could stuff ourselves for brunch and not have another full meal until dinner. We gave Asher a snack in the room to hold him over until breakfast though, he would have been a mess otherwise.

We drove over to the lodge and checked in. It was a good time to show up as the tables were emptying out and the noise level had died down. We started with coffee and POG juice. The coffee had a great flavor, we used to get the press pot but I think the included brew is good enough. I let Asher have a small cup of POG juice and he didn’t seem impressed. He’s so weird, he pretty much only drinks water. In the summer I make him lemonade with stevia and that is the only other drink he seems to like.

I was starving, but I managed to get photos of my plates before digging in. I couldn’t stop Chad from digging in, but he had most of the same items as myself.

Asher had the basics—eggs, sausage, fruit. He wouldn’t touch the pancake or tots, such a weirdo.

View attachment 401649

My first plate:

View attachment 401648

I love to have refreshing salads with breakfast, which is one of the reasons I keep coming back to Boma. That’s a spinach salad with quinoa, the grapefruit avocado salad, and the watermelon rind salad. The spinach and grapefruit/avocado were great, but the watermelon rind was much different than I remember. It used to be more tangy but now it is VERY sweet and I’m no longer a fan. The turkey bobotie was delicious and now that I can’t eat pork, I love that Boma has several non-pork meat dishes on the buffet. I know you can always request turkey sausage or bacon, but those aren’t usually very good.

My second plate:

View attachment 401650

Since I love some vegetables with breakfast, the grilled asparagus and tomatoes are always a big hit with me and I enjoyed them as usual. The turkey from the carving station was delicious with some of the sambal for some spice. I was hoping for the goat cheese eggs, but it was ham and cheese on this day so I had to stick with boring scrambled eggs. I was also looking forward to the hash, but the cornbread topping was sweet and gave the whole thing a weird flavor. The chakalaka was also sweeter and less spicy than I recall. Over the years, so much of the supposed-to-be savory buffet or AYCTE food has become soooo sweet to me (looking at you ‘Ohana…) and I don’t know if my tastes have changed or if the recipes have been adjusted to make them more sweet.

Next I had this weird little bowl of food:

View attachment 401651

That’s some of the pastrami smoked salmon, which is incredible, loved it. I just cut it up and kinda scooped the toppings on and ate it with a fork—delicious. I also had a random slice of cheese apparently.

Then it was time for what I have to admit might be my number one reason to have Boma breakfast:

View attachment 401652

It’s not much to look at, but I love, LOVE this French toast bread pudding. Not surprisingly, the reason I like it is because it’s not super sweet, mostly just buttery, on its own and you can add however much sauce you want to add sweetness. I like to drizzle it with both the pecan praline sauce and vanilla sauce. It is so perfect with coffee.

During the whole meal, Asher had been squirmy and annoying and as usual my meal was interrupted by a lengthy bathroom visit, except this one was futile and I was irritated. Chad took Asher out to the playground so that I could finish my bread pudding and pay the bill in peace.

Now this next part of the story I have wavered on whether to share, but it’s just too funny not to and we’ll just hope that Asher never stumbles across this dining report someday when he can read and stuff…

I finish up at Boma and make it out to the playground and Chad has this shell-shocked look on his face. I’m like, “Oh no, what happened?” and he proceeds to tell me the chain of events that occurred during my brief respite: Asher had been happily playing and Chad was chatting with some parents, when he turned around and saw Asher run to the corner of the playground and start to drop his pants, apparently to finish up the unfruitful bathroom visit from earlier. I can only imagine Chad doing the slo-mo, Hollywood run crying “NOOOOOOOOO!!!!!” as he leaps across the playground, pulls up the kid’s pants and scoops him up to run full speed to the restroom on the other side of the pool.

I have no idea why Asher would do this, it’s certainly not something we encourage at home. I guess his squirmy behavior during breakfast was an indication of a not-so-happy digestive system and in his desperation or perhaps excitement of being at the playground, he completely LOST HIS FRICKIN MIND. I am so glad that I missed it, I think that would have sent me right over the edge, but Chad managed to save the day. Then I saw @kastoney ’s tale of a kid peeing in the bushes and I thought, “Omg, that was almost Asher but potentially WORSE.” So. much. worse.

Okay, I need a break after reliving that tale. LOL. To be continued…

that's just awesome! LOL!!! the bread pudding looks amazing - my DH is not a huge fan of breakfast in general, but loves Boma breakfast buffet. And he LOVES bread pudding - so I'll have to share this with him.

 

[Hettie]

Here I am, creeping in like a zombie returning from the dead...LOL! Surely I can get through this report, I only have a couple of days left to write about...

Day 6 – April 4​

Our preferred Epcot day for this trip was a morning EMH and we decided to go for it. We had not attempted a morning EMH with Asher yet, just because it can be challenging to get everyone ready and out the door, but he’s gotten a little more independent and the morning routine is slightly more manageable. It worked pretty well and we lucked into the most amazing parking spot ever in the history of Epcot. I’m not even kidding-- because of the race weekend, they were parking people in the grass at the front of the lot. I should have snapped a photo in the morning, but I did get some when we left, I’ll throw those in at the bottom.

We were through the turnstiles just a few minutes past 8:00 and headed to Soarin’. I should have gotten a FP for this one because we waited over 30 minutes anyway. It was a beautiful, cool morning and we decided to spend the rest of EMH enjoying the outdoors and the empty parts of Future World.



I included all the Flower & Garden booth items in my first post in this report (see those here), so I won’t repeat myself. After a morning in Future World and a few snacks, we headed to Morocco for lunch at Spice Road Table, a first for us.

The weather was still amazing and we sat outside on the patio, which was mostly empty when we arrived. We were noticing by this point that Epcot was super empty for a spring break, EMH day and our server commented on the low crowds as well.

I started off with a wine flight:



These were okay, but I don’t remember loving any of them and it seems like a couple were too oaky for me and one was too sweet. It was fun to try some new wines regardless. I think Chad had a rum and Coke.

We decided to share a couple of items between the three of us:


Fried Calamari
with spicy Harissa and Capers Aïoli Sauce --$12.99


Three Lamb Sliders
Brioche, Cucumber Dill, Mixed Olives, and Mint Tzatziki Sauce served with Hummus Fries --$24.99

The food arrived while I was on a lengthy bathroom visit with Asher and the calamari was cold by the time I returned, but it was still good and Chad said it was perfect when it was hot. We convinced Asher to try it and he loved it so much that he ate most of it, along with the olive salad.

The lamb sliders were delicious and spicy, as were the hummus fries. Chad and I love spicy, so we were happy but both of those items were too spicy for Asher. We asked for a little more olive salad for him and our server brought out a nice sized little bowl of it, which was enough to fill him up.

It was a nice lunch, the patio outside is wonderful in nice weather. I’d like to return to try some more of the small plates on the menu, several of those are appealing.

We piddled around World Showcase the remainder of the day with some rest time in the DVC lounge. Chad picked up some maple popcorn in Canada and it was tasty but too sweet for me as I was getting the Disney sweets burnout by then.

There was a concert we wanted to see that night and this time we didn’t miss it—Christopher Cross!!!! Okay, so maybe that’s not the most exciting concert, but I find that kind of 80s, easy-listening, sailboat music soooo relaxing. Apparently the rest of the audience does as well, it was a very subdued group.

Dinner was low-key, hot dogs for the boys and some formerly mentioned booth snacks for me. The plan had been to leave when we all got tired, but the nice weather and low crowds kept us energized, we knew we had a short journey to our vehicle so we stuck around for Illuminations.

I grabbed a glass of wine from Tutto Gusto to enjoy during Illuminations and the bartender asked me if I wanted a double—well, of course! Then he was super generous with the pour and I didn’t finish that glass until we were walking out the front gates, MUCH later, well after closing time.

We got to watch what was our last Illuminations from our favorite spot in Germany, which was completely uncrowded. Then we took our time walking out with a stop at Guest Services to get Asher’s prize for the scavenger hunt (we found out that if the shops are closed, that’s where to pick up your prize). It was a wonderful Epcot day and we were so pumped that our vehicle was ridiculously close:



That’s our vehicle with the first bus stop in the background and a view from our vehicle, looking toward the monorail platform, etc. We were so excited and it was super silly.

Up next, our last full day with breakfast at The Wave, a special pixie dust experience, and dinner at Geyser Point!

 

[Hettie]

Day 7 – April 5​

We had a lazy morning after our late Epcot night, I think the boys had some snacks in the room and I had some coffee, then we got hungry for a real meal and I got us a late breakfast reservation at The Wave. We’d been meaning to try their breakfast for awhile and we were planning to spend some time in the MK area at Ft. Wilderness anyway.

We rushed to get there and were a little late, but it didn’t matter because we had to wait a bit to be seated. It was much busier than I expected, then I realized that it must be a popular location for race weekends.

Of course I had to have…



Because when there are bottomless mimosas, it’s sort of a requirement.

For breakfast, I wanted both the sweet potato pancakes and eggs benedict, so I went with the buffet when the server said they could make me a portion of the buffet benedict without the ham. Chad also had the buffet. Here is his first plate:



Looks pretty good, I was a little sad that I couldn’t have any bacon.

My first buffet plate:



The round thing was a frittata and it was “meh”, but everything else was good. They brought out my “benedict”, but something was definitely missing :



No hollandaise, so basically a couple of poached eggs with some English muffins on the side.

We had ordered a kids meal for Asher that was supposed to have scrambled eggs, sausage, fruit, and goldfish toast. This is what arrived :



Our server came by to check on us, we notified her about all the missing items which were eventually brought around, plus a pile of chicken sausage for me, so we ended up with WAY too much food on our table, much of which was wasted. Oh well, something ate it, I’m sure.

I had a second plate:




I loved the pancakes, they have a great flavor with some spices and weren't too sweet. My Mickey waffle had sadly been sitting on the buffet for awhile and turned to a dry powder upon biting into it.

They were so busy that they ran out of champagne glasses and my refill arrived in a plastic cup, no complaints from me though.




I also had a yogurt parfait from the buffet, which was one of my favorite items that morning.

Asher started to get antsy and our server was kind enough to entertain him by letting him vacuum the carpet.



Hey, whatever it takes, right?!?

We enjoyed the food here for the most part and I think next time I will just order the sweet potato pancakes and not bother with the buffet. There wasn’t any pecan-honey butter on the buffet either and that would have put the pancakes over the top, I’m sure.

Up next, some Ft. Wilderness fun!

 

[kastoney]

Looks like you all had a great day in Epcot. We've never eaten at Spice Road and after reading your experience I really have no idea why. It totally looks like our kind of place. And way to go Asher with the Calamari. To this day its one of Casey's favorites too!

Sorry The Wave was a little off for you all. We really enjoy it but have only ever done the buffet. I did not know that they had bottomless mimosas though. Not sure how i of all people missed that memo.

 

[Hettie]

Looks like you all had a great day in Epcot. We've never eaten at Spice Road and after reading your experience I really have no idea why. It totally looks like our kind of place. And way to go Asher with the Calamari. To this day its one of Casey's favorites too!

Sorry The Wave was a little off for you all. We really enjoy it but have only ever done the buffet. I did not know that they had bottomless mimosas though. Not sure how i of all people missed that memo.

I liked Spice Road for a drink/small plate sort of meal and the outside patio was perfect on a nice day. The entrees didn't appeal to me much, but that is not unusual. Asher now requests to go eat calamari and our favorite in Lexington is now J. Alexander's. He also requests Red Lobster because we ate there once out of desperation. Those cheddar biscuits though...

You must have been distracted by the bloody mary at The Wave, I almost was. I would have ordered both if not for the whole "bottomless" concept involved with the mimosa.

 

[Hettie]

Day 7 continued…

After breakfast, something amazing happened. I ran out to the car to the get the stroller, I think, and while I was walking back, Chad called me to tell me to HURRY because a captain at the Contemporary dock was going to give us a short fishing excursion and drop us off at Ft. Wilderness. I sprinted through the parking lot, lobby, and out to the docks because that is some serious pixie dust that cannot be missed. Chad had made friends with a boat captain who happened to also be from KY and was willing to take us out on Bay Lake during his lunch break, which was incredibly generous. Everyone had a great time :



Our skipper dropped us off at Ft. Wilderness, where we explored, played on the playground, and visited the store:


And then for the big surprise…


A pony ride!!! Asher enjoyed it, but didn’t seem as thrilled as we expected. Maybe because we live in the horse capital of the world, but this was still his first time on any sort of horse-type creature, so we thought it would be a bigger deal.

A bigger deal for us is when this kept him busy for a full hour:



So we could relax and enjoy a:



I like to try specialty drinks around property, so I figured I should have a moonshine drink at Crockett’s. I’m pretty sure it was the Smoky Mountain Apple, which was way too sweet, but I should have known. Would have been better off with the Moonshine Mojito, which is what I think Chad ordered, but I don’t seem to have the receipt (what happens when you send husband for drinks).

Asher eventually asked us if it was lunch time and since we had such a big, late breakfast, it was getting close to dinnertime and we packed up and headed over to Wilderness Lodge for our first experience at Geyser Point Bar & Grill. Yay!

We requested a relax-y table because they were gonna seat us at a two-top with the three of us, and just…no. Cushy couches are in order when I’m at this type of joint and I WILL WAIT. We didn’t even have to wait and before long, Asher had his dinner.





He was so excited that he shaped his cheese to match our “continent”, but I’m pretty sure he meant our state because it definitely looked like Kentucky. I love this kid’s menu option for a “charcuterie” platter here, because this is a typical lunch for him and he gobbled this up.

Continued in next post...

 

[Hettie]

Continued from last post...

Mom & Dad took their time and enjoyed drinks while perusing the menu:



A pinot gris for me…



A dark and stormy, AKA mule with rum instead of vodka for Chad.

We decided to share some appetizers that sounded great:






Cheesy Barbecue Brisket
with House-made Chips--$11.00

This was good and filling, an excellent sharing option. I would get it again.



I think this was a special, fish ‘n chips, which I was wary about since it was a “sustainable” fish and I have a strong dislike for tilapia. It was something else, which I don’t remember now, but we googled it and deemed it an acceptable gamble, which paid off. It was a light and flaky fish, we enjoyed it.



Crispy Fried Oysters
with Miso Tartar Sauce --$13.00

This was the hit of the night, very plump and fresh oysters with a briny flavor enhanced by the umami in the miso dipping sauce. We loved this so much that the chef came out to talk to use about it and shared the recipe:



Asher is getting more independent every day, so Chad and I were able to enjoy another drink while he did this:



Then it was a lovely boat ride back to the Contemporary:



And a stroller ride with our gallon jug of water…



To round up our last night at WDW for the spring.

Up next, final morning and a great lunch!