A Very Lurkyloo Christmas is FINISHED! New 3/16: Last Day of the Trip!

[lurkyloo]

Photo op at the Christmas tree

The Grand Floridian's newish tile floor

I found one wreath I really liked hanging in the upstairs gift shop, M. Mouse Mercantile. They should totally sell this one!

They did seem to be selling these festive mini cakes, so I got a couple of shots for the DIS Boards' cake thread… turns out this is made of candy and comes in the $$$ in-room celebration package that the WDW Florist can sell you.

Looks like I swung by the Grand Floridian Convention Center to take some pictures of the Whitehall Room & Patio!

 

[lurkyloo]

I always love it when I stumble across an actual event in progress…

This is the Key West Room, a boardroom you can use for small private events.

Then it was back on the monorail to check out the Contemporary's decorations.

Sort-of view of Whitehall patio from the monorail

Space-age ordering kiosks for Contempo Café!

Newish Contempo Café

"I'll have one of everything, please!"

This one cracked me up—which leche do you think they left out? And is the price lower as a result?

 

[lurkyloo]

Yep….

The Contemporary doesn't have a life-size gingerbread house, but they do have a temporary counter set up in the lobby selling gingerbread and other Christmas-y treats.

Kawaii!

I give you…. the carpet!

I just can't get over how cool BLT's lobby is!

Up Next: Backstage Tour of Finding Nemo: The Musical!

 

[Aburns8]

I swear that the Poly has more decoration now then they did 3 years ago (the last time I was there for Christmas). They should sell that wreath! I love it! Wishing I could go there this December. Maybe next year!

 

[Disneybuckeye]

Thanks for keeping the updates coming even though I know you are busy. This is helping me get through the last few days until we leave on Frday, so I appreciate your last update. All the Christmas pictures have me excited for our December trip. We saw the GF gingerbread house during our November 06 trip and they gave us some samples to try. Do they still give out free samples? I am not too big on gingerbread so the sample was perfect.

 

[Disneygrl36]

Loved the pics of the gingerbread house from above. I've never seen it from that perspective.

 

[tlhbdm]

I got all caught up, it has taken me 1.5 days to read it all. Lurky I love your commentary, makes me laugh while sitting at my desk.

 

[Stringbean&Wingnut]

This one cracked me up—which leche do you think they left out? And is the price lower as a result?

I wonder what the elusive neglected third milk was too!

 

[beatlesblonde]

Great update Carrie! Man I'm missing WDW even more reading your report, thank goodness we only have what feels like a billion days to go till our next trip.

You know I don't think those birds should be drinking from the soda fountain, I'm sure the caffine will keep them up all night

 

[lurkyloo]

I swear that the Poly has more decoration now then they did 3 years ago (the last time I was there for Christmas). They should sell that wreath! I love it! Wishing I could go there this December. Maybe next year!

That's interesting—someone else was saying that the Beach Club had *less* decoration at Christmas than they remember. You'd think it would all be uniform, but maybe it's up to managers at each resort or something....

Thanks for keeping the updates coming even though I know you are busy. This is helping me get through the last few days until we leave on Frday, so I appreciate your last update. All the Christmas pictures have me excited for our December trip. We saw the GF gingerbread house during our November 06 trip and they gave us some samples to try. Do they still give out free samples? I am not too big on gingerbread so the sample was perfect.

I didn't see any free samples when I was there. Maybe it was cutting into their profits on the $10 gingerbread shingles...

Loved the pics of the gingerbread house from above. I've never seen it from that perspective.

You know me—why just document something in pictures when you can OVER-document it?!

I got all caught up, it has taken me 1.5 days to read it all. Lurky I love your commentary, makes me laugh while sitting at my desk.

Yay! I'm glad you laughed!

I wonder what the elusive neglected third milk was too!

Dos leches indeed! I'll bet they left out the one that makes it all moist and runny...

Great update Carrie! Man I'm missing WDW even more reading your report, thank goodness we only have what feels like a billion days to go till our next trip.

You know I don't think those birds should be drinking from the soda fountain, I'm sure the caffine will keep them up all night

Seriously! I was trying to think up a gag about that because, well, when they eat fermented fruit they get drunk, so just think what must happen when they drink sugary soda!

 

[MAGICFOR2]

Carrie - thanks for the Christmas monorail tour! It would be fun to compare and contrast all in the same trip Hmmm, the birds are kind of gross, but I guess there's not alot to do about it when they have a semi-open space - at least they're not snakes or gators

 

[norybell]

Christmas! Hooray!

(I'm very tired today. Thus reading and writing TRs is leaving me feeling particularly seasonally confused. )

Great update, as always. Except now I really want to eat something that contains both chocolate and gingerbread. Hm...

 

[mrsksomeday]

Fantastic update!! I am loving all the pictures, your perspectives are amazing.

 

[MEK]

Another fab update. Please stay inspired. I love your pictures and I am so glad you posted so many of the GF at christmas. I really think I need to see it for myself. The ginger bread house is too cool. Great details.

OK - what's up with the birds in the soda dispenser? It's like their own privated bird bath.

I had that cupcake in September and it was AMAZING!

 

[lurkyloo]

Carrie - thanks for the Christmas monorail tour! It would be fun to compare and contrast all in the same trip Hmmm, the birds are kind of gross, but I guess there's not alot to do about it when they have a semi-open space - at least they're not snakes or gators

Gators in the soda drip tray—now THAT would be an hilarious photo!

Christmas! Hooray!

(I'm very tired today. Thus reading and writing TRs is leaving me feeling particularly seasonally confused. )

Great update, as always. Except now I really want to eat something that contains both chocolate and gingerbread. Hm...

Yeah, but can you even get gingerbread in March...?

Fantastic update!! I am loving all the pictures, your perspectives are amazing.

Thanks for reading!

Another fab update. Please stay inspired. I love your pictures and I am so glad you posted so many of the GF at christmas. I really think I need to see it for myself. The ginger bread house is too cool. Great details.

OK - what's up with the birds in the soda dispenser? It's like their own privated bird bath.

I had that cupcake in September and it was AMAZING!

Oooh—thanks for the heads up! I'm staying at the Contemporary in a few weeks, so I'll have to check out "dos leches" for myself!

 

[NeverlandClub23]

I didn't see any free samples when I was there. Maybe it was cutting into their profits on the $10 gingerbread shingles..

$10?!? They were about $3 when I was there in December 2006! Wow. We're going December this year. It may be worth spending a night in Disney jail to chisel a shingle off of the house.

 

[lurkyloo]

$10?!? They were about $3 when I was there in December 2006! Wow. We're going December this year. It may be worth spending a night in Disney jail to chisel a shingle off of the house.

Plus it's just more fun that way!

 

[lurkyloo]

As you may know from my past reports, I have an aversion to stage shows of any variety. Patrick had been interested in seeing Finding Nemo: The Musical again from a decent seat, so I grudgingly made a reservation for Tusker House Restaurant during that lunchtime window when they give you a ticket for priority seating at the show after you meal. He'd also arranged for us to get a backstage tour through his various puppet connections, which was pretty much the only reason I agreed to go see the show. When Patrick had to leave our vacation early, I'd convinced Jensey to go with me. But then something came up and she couldn't go either, so off I went to AK on my own to do something that everybody else BUT me wanted to do.


Now-traditional shot of the rental car for posterity

There was a big line at Tusker House, and I was glad I had a reservation! Buffets are right up there with stage shows on my Not To Do list at Disney, but I figured at least this one might have some of the more interesting dishes you find at Boma on it.

Of course I started with dessert first!

Cherry & Apple Cobbler, Warm Banana Cinnamon Bread Pudding, Vanilla Sauce

Chocolate Chunk Cookies, Oatmeal Raisin Cookies, Chocolate Brownies

Coconut Macaroon, Lemon Bars, Pecan Chocolate Tart, Passion Fruit Tart

Chocolate Volcano Cake, Carrot Spice Cake, Baklava, Strawberry Mousse

Apple, Endive & Walnut Salad with Bleu Cheese Crumble; Tossed Caesar Salad; Tomato & Cucumber Salad with Fresh Mint & Yogurt Dressing; Mixed Greens with Ranch, Light Italian, or Balsamic Vinaigrette

Blatjangs (Spicy South African Preserves); "Sambals" (Condiments): Mango Chutney, Mixed Dried-Fruit Chutney; Hummus, Tabouleh

Whole-grain Breads & Rolls, Chocolate Mango Bread, Mealie Cornbread, Lavosh, Cornbread

Sliced Turkey & Ham; American & Swiss Cheeses; Mayonnaise, Mustard, Pickles (a classic African dish!)

 

[lurkyloo]

Tunisian Couscous Salad, Fresh Green Bean & Red Onion Salad, Curried Rice Salad with Golden Raisins, Seasonal Fresh Fruit

Basmati Rice with Toasted Almond Slivers, Cape Malay Curry Chicken, Orzo Pasta, Seafood Stew with Tamarind Barbecue Sauce

Pearl Couscous with Sweet Basil, Spiced Vegetable & Tofu Tandoori, Jollaf Rice

Peri Peri Marinated Baked Salmon, Saffron-infused Root Vegetables & Cabbage

As they said in the '80s, "Where's the beef?"

"Oh. THERE's the beef!"

Rotisserie Chicken and…. samosas?

Spit-roasted Chicken, Sauteed Fresh Green Beans, Mashed Potatoes

I know the point of this buffet is s'posed to be the exotic African fare, but who can resist MINI-CORN DOGS?!!!


Corn Dog Nuggets, Macaroni & Cheese, Corn Medley

More African classics… "Create Your Own PB & J, with your choice of white or whole wheat bread"

You know why else I hate buffets? Cuz you gotta label every dang photo in your trip report!!!

Patrick shot!

Here's what I came up with—it only appears that I restrained myself in the mini corn dog department because I didn't shoot the stock pot I'd filled with them!

Dessert

So I guess my verdict would be "Not as good as Boma, which is not as good as Jiko." But if you gotta do a buffet, at least this one gives you interesting choices and decent seats at the Nemo show! Plus, the décor is fun. The atmosphere is typically frenetic, though.


Off I went to find Nemo!

Looks like it's gibbon wash day!

 

[lurkyloo]

It was great to be able to breeze past the huge line at the show with my little seating pass. And the seats were great too—there isn't really a center section directly in front of the stage cuz it extends out into the audience, but the reserved section is on one side of it.

As for the show, I found it predictably cheesy, but the staging, the puppets and the costumes are A-friggin-MAZING! So I guess I can recommend it just for that. The pictures are kinda blurry—hope you can figure out what's going on…

OK, remember this bird puppet for later…