Another DR? And yes, it was live! Now complete..!

This review is a perfectly wonderful way to start the day. Ecspecially on a Monday. It's fantastic. It is really getting me pumped to leave very soon.

Don't feel bad about the Steak and Shake...we do not have one near us and this has become a vacation staple for us. We always stop at one on our way to WDW. I would bet my next paycheck that we'll be having dinner there Wednesday night. :rotfl2:

Have a great trip, I'm looking forward to reading more. :cool1:
 
Totally enjoying your reviews! Thanks for taking the time to do them live!
 
Okay, first you make me hungry for coconut shrimp from Joe's and NOW its Steak'n Shake. Its only 9 a.m. here. THANKS!!!!! I just love those french fries from SS. Especially when they're hot! Of course, I'd love a shake about now too. I hope lunch time gets here soon. :) I might need to venture north 30 minutes to go out to lunch. haha Enjoy the rest of the trip and thanks for making me hungry.

Lynn
 
Thanks for the update! I love the offsite pics! I have taken notes of where you ate, :lmao:, since we have 6 days of Florida vacation to fill with "offsite food", :thumbsup2. Need to give Goodings a visit too!

And by the way, Pecos Bill has amazing Chili Cheese Fries as well, LOL! It's vacation so we are ALL entitled to a little junk food!

Can't wait for your next installment! Enjoy your day at Gatorland! :goodvibes
 

We got up yesterday and had pancakes and scrambled eggs, yogurt, and bananas in the room. Now lest you think I am a chef on vacation, rest assured that the pancakes were the "pour water in a jug, shake and cook" type. Still good though :thumbsup2

:lmao: Step up from the Svenhard's berry horns we take along for in-room breakfast. Not gourmet, but tasty and easy.

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So good.

Today is venturing away from WDW for a trip to Gatorland. And then we may head back to the parks tonight. Everyone - have a great day!!

Have fun!
 
And while we were waiting for help, I took photos. In a grocery store! And immediately got the giggles.

I laughed at this -- I LOVE THAT YOU TOOK PICTURES at Goodings!!

My family would run away acting like they didn't know me if I did this and I can SOOOOO see me doing it too!


We have a Steak n Shake near our house and I have been inspired to try it. Although my DD first thought it said Steak Shake and thought that was gross (sortof like the Roast Beef Smoothies at Earl of Sandwich!).


I am still loving your reviews. Keep 'em coming!
 
Jen, I was so excited to come on tonight and see a new food review from you - and live as well - the joy :) Glad to hear that DS made the magic 48" and that he enjoyed his first taste of Rock 'n' Roller Coaster. Hope you are all having a great time and looking forward to reading more of your food adventures - please don't forget that I need forewarning of any PB&J moments ;)
 
Great reviews I'm in. Just starting to plan our 2010 trip so looking forward to seeing lots more photos.
 
I have never read a live dining report, and I'm very excited about it!:)I really enjoyed your report so far.
 
Is Crossroads Plaza the one with Goodings? Your meals looked great. So maybe I will actually venture off-site :scared1: during my December trip.

Sorry I missed your question earlier today - that is the Crossroads. We like it because it's so close to property and to our RCI resort. If you're going to Joe's or MG keep going a bit further down the road from Crossroads...maybe a block or two?

Offsite is definitely good for your wallet, but we're ready for WDW dining!
 
Sorry I missed your question earlier today - that is the Crossroads. We like it because it's so close to property and to our RCI resort. If you're going to Joe's or MG keep going a bit further down the road from Crossroads...maybe a block or two?

Offsite is definitely good for your wallet, but we're ready for WDW dining!

Awesome, thanks!
 
You are all so great about Steak and Shake - I actually pondered not posting the photos, but decided what the hey? Your reactions have been great!!!

This review is a perfectly wonderful way to start the day. Ecspecially on a Monday. It's fantastic. It is really getting me pumped to leave very soon.

Don't feel bad about the Steak and Shake...we do not have one near us and this has become a vacation staple for us. We always stop at one on our way to WDW. I would bet my next paycheck that we'll be having dinner there Wednesday night. :rotfl2:

Have a great trip, I'm looking forward to reading more. :cool1:

We haven't eaten there since 2003...? It was just as good as I remembered! Maybe we'll see you down here...do you mean this Wednesday as in May 6??

Totally enjoying your reviews! Thanks for taking the time to do them live!

Okay, first you make me hungry for coconut shrimp from Joe's and NOW its Steak'n Shake. Its only 9 a.m. here. THANKS!!!!! I just love those french fries from SS. Especially when they're hot! Of course, I'd love a shake about now too. I hope lunch time gets here soon. :) I might need to venture north 30 minutes to go out to lunch. haha Enjoy the rest of the trip and thanks for making me hungry.

Lynn

Thank you both - and those fries were addicting! They don't look like much, but they are GOOD!

Thanks for the update! I love the offsite pics! I have taken notes of where you ate, :lmao:, since we have 6 days of Florida vacation to fill with "offsite food", :thumbsup2. Need to give Goodings a visit too!

And by the way, Pecos Bill has amazing Chili Cheese Fries as well, LOL! It's vacation so we are ALL entitled to a little junk food!

Can't wait for your next installment! Enjoy your day at Gatorland! :goodvibes

Thanks Karin! I LOVE all your reports and am a visitor to your website too! We may have to check out Pecos Bills...haven't been there too often! You're going to love my dinner review from tonight if you're looking for offsite choices...it was GREAT!

:lmao: Step up from the Svenhard's berry horns we take along for in-room breakfast. Not gourmet, but tasty and easy.


Have fun!


(Our other breakfast staple is Entemann's doughnuts...vacation tradition! We won't even buy them at home so they say "WDW" to us....:rotfl:)

I laughed at this -- I LOVE THAT YOU TOOK PICTURES at Goodings!!

My family would run away acting like they didn't know me if I did this and I can SOOOOO see me doing it too!


We have a Steak n Shake near our house and I have been inspired to try it. Although my DD first thought it said Steak Shake and thought that was gross (sortof like the Roast Beef Smoothies at Earl of Sandwich!).


I am still loving your reviews. Keep 'em coming!

Isn't it awful!!! I couldn't stop laughing when I made the decision to bring the camera in the store...it was premeditated photography....! :rotfl: And to make it even worse, I have a new camera. It's not a cute little point and shoot, it's a big honkin DSLR that is hanging on a strap around my neck...NOT subtle. DH and DS thought it was hilarious and I kept reminding myself "not at home...this is not at home...no one knows you here....." :lmao:

Also - I read your response to DH and he actually said "Earl of Sandwich has roast beef smoothies???" I had to explain the marquee sign to him. Obviously he doesn't live on the DIS like I do ;)

Jen, I was so excited to come on tonight and see a new food review from you - and live as well - the joy :) Glad to hear that DS made the magic 48" and that he enjoyed his first taste of Rock 'n' Roller Coaster. Hope you are all having a great time and looking forward to reading more of your food adventures - please don't forget that I need forewarning of any PB&J moments ;)

Hey Joh! We are having a blast so far! The boys enjoyed Gatorland (sigh...:rolleyes:) and I will definitely remember your aversion to PB! ;)

Great reviews I'm in. Just starting to plan our 2010 trip so looking forward to seeing lots more photos.

Welcome!!!

My whole family LOVES Steak & Shake!!!!!!

Thanks! I had no idea how popular it was, but I can tell you I wish we had them up by us.

I have never read a live dining report, and I'm very excited about it!:)I really enjoyed your report so far.

I'm really enjoying your report. Thank you for sharing

Welcome to you both and thank you!!
 
DS's Gator cookie - he loved this. The frosting tasted like chocolate whipped crisco to me...:confused3 But it was cute:

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Key Lime Pie - the filling was wonderful! Very tart. The whipped cream was more whipped frosting like and the crust was so so, but I'm glad we got this. DH and I shared it on a break this afternoon.

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Neither was worth the price, but both were nice treats! I am definitely looking forward to snacks on the DDP though...
 
A few words about this little side trip...if you or your loved ones are interested in large reptiles (like mine...DH used to have a pet caimen when he was a kid in a brief time when they were legal...:confused3) you and they will love it. They have some very entertaining and well done shows, they have white (not albino - they have bright blue eyes!) alligators and ladies...um...listen up here...

(the male employees in all the shows are verrrrrrryyy easy on the eyes.....;) )

So anyway, before we left for lunch, I snapped a photo of the snack bar menu:

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We didn't actually get anything, but I took the photo anyway ;)

Another note - this place takes every discount known so make sure you ask. The person who took our money asked about a bunch and when I said "oh...I don't have my AAA card," she put the discount on anyway. Saved the entire cost of DS's ticket.
 
SO we were already off property and a ways out so I decided to pick an old favorite for DH for lunch. I plugged it into Garmina (our GPS) and asked her to get us there. I then told DH that we should just follow her and "be spontaneous...!"

We followed her for a while and DH then guessed where he thought we were going: Margaritaville at Universal City Walk. Dang. That was NOT what I picked but I should have...YUM!

Instead, we pulled up to Bubbalou's Bodacious Barbecue (I am not making this name up!). We found this years ago after seeing it on a BBQ show on the Food Network and really enjoyed it. It isn't an every trip thing, but we have been a few times. DH LOVES bbq - we have a smoker at home and he really does a great job with it. So we take in BBQ restaurants whenever we can.

Here is a shot of the restaurant from their outdoor seating:

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Very casual, picnic table seating. We enjoy it!

We ordered a whole bunch of food to share. But we started with some HUGE drinks:

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Mountain Dew for the big boy, root beer for the small and water for me.

We also got a huge pickle because...well, they're good!

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We got a side of corn - this was SO good!! Very simple, buttery, salty and perfect (we added butter and salt)

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Here is the pulled pork and fries meal:

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This was excellent - they have a new mustard barbecue sauce that was perfect with this. I even liked the baked beans and I usually don't. Of course, maybe I'm growing up...?

Here is the two meat combo we also got - brisket and ribs served with buttered toast and beans:

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The brisket was too thinly sliced for us - we liked it, but we prefer DH's which has a great highly seasoned rub bark and is sliced in thicker slices. The ribs were really good. The fries in both meals were hot and crispy on the outside and good on the inside.

Overall - an excellent barbecue meal and very filling! We got everything, including the drinks for around $30.
 
This restaurant is completely new for us. We've barely even heard of them and saw a billboard and became intrigued. We decided tonight after a rousing game of mini golf at Fantasia Gardens that we would have our last offsite meal there. (We tried to go to the Fountain at the Swolphin, but it was $10-13 for parking and that seemed rich for dinner parking...we may try it another day when we can boat up in a Friendship).

For those of you who have never been to Sweet Tomatoes - here goes: You walk in and are greeted. You then grab a tray and a plate and immediately select salads all the way down. You then pay and are seated. You get your own drinks and can then choose from hot menu items, soups and desserts. The Lake Buena Vista location is new and is (where else?) in the Crossroads. For those of you who don't like photos of buffet food on plates, I apologize in advance. I am also copying today's menu from the website:

Dinner
Tossed Salads:
Caesar Salad Asiago (Non-Vegetarian)
Sedona Green Chile & Chipotle (Non-Vegetarian)
Strawberry Fields w/ Carmelized Walnuts (Vegan)
Won Ton Chicken Happiness


Prepared Salads:
Baja Bean & Cilantro (Low-Fat, Vegan)
Joan's Broccoli Madness (Non-Vegetarian)
Pineapple Coconut Slaw (Vegetarian)
Provencal Green Bean & Potato (Vegan)
Tuna Tarragon


Soups:
Big Chunk Chicken Noodle (Low-Fat)
Classical Minestrone (Low-Fat, Vegan)
Cream of Mushroom (Non-Vegetarian)
Cream of Rosemary Potato (Non-Vegetarian)
Deep Kettle House Chili (Low-Fat)
Garden of Eatin’ (Low-Fat, Vegetarian)
Irish Potato Leek (Vegetarian)


Pastas:
Macaroni & Cheese (Vegetarian)
Penne Arrabbiatta (Vegetarian)
Steamed Vegetables w/ Lemon Herb Butter (Vegetarian)


Muffins:
Apple Cinnamon Bran Muffin (96% Fat-Free)
Buttermilk Cornbread (Low-Fat)
Chocolate Brownie Muffin
Garlic Asiago Focaccia
Pepperoni Focaccia
Quattro Formaggio Focaccia
Strawberry Buttermilk Muffin
Wildly Blue Blueberry Muffin


Desserts:
Strawberry Apple Cobbler
Sugar-free Strawberry Mousse
Seasonal Fresh Fruit
Vanilla Soft Serve
Chocolate Soft Serve


Here is my salad plate - it includes the caesar salad, the Sedona green chile salad, a salad I made with garlic dressing and feta (YUM!), the provencal salad, and the baja bean. I also have pickles on my plate:

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DH's plate - also with caesar and the sedona salad among other items:

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We both loved the sedona and I enjoyed the rest of mine as well.

DS's plate - I swear he picked all of this himself...!

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He ate it all, too!

Here are our drinks - we all got the strawberry lemonade and drank two glasses each. It was fresh strawberries blended in with the lemonade and I will be definitely making this at home...SO GOOD!

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The cheesy cauliflower soup with green onions and cheese:

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Pepperoni focaccia (boys loved this)

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rosemary potato soup:

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Strawberry muffin with whipped butter:

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mac and cheese:

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baked potato with cheese and bacon and sour cream:

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Chicken noodle soup with oyster crackers:

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hot chocolate brownie with vanilla frozen yogurt:

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vanilla frozen yogurt:

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Once you have gone through the salad line, the bowls and plates and servings are all very small. I like this, because you taste a little bit here and there and theoretically don't end up rolling out of the restaurant. I say theoretically, because we still did. DH thinks it's because of all the lemonade :love:

This was the first time so far that I have been really REALLY full.
 
LOVE your reviews!!! I am so excited Sweet Tomatos opened. I love it! We have it here in Illinois but it is over an hour from my house so I have only been once! Now I actually have a place I like off site!!
 
Well, tomorrow will begin our Kidani Village adventure. And it will put us back on property and on the DDP. I am really looking forward to it, but would like to summarize a few thoughts...

1. I had no idea how much I relied on the DDP until this trip. It is amazing how much we take for granted when we are using credits instead of cash. We thought about going to Sunshine Seasons for lunch the other day and realized the counter service lunch would cost the same as a dinner out at home. Instead we opted for the gourmet Steak and Shake ;). Snacks were another thing...on the DDP, we just get what we want. We have been doing that without it, but it feels different to hand over cash instead of a room key where it feels "free".

2. I had no idea how much I love room charging and leaving cash in the room. I am looking forward to that again!

I love the kitchen, making pancakes yesterday and french toast and eggs this morning...baking cookies and having a huge fridge full of beverages (soda, water, tea, lemonade, mojitos, milk, oj, soda), the king sized bed, the huge jacuzzi tub, DS having his own bedroom with one bed to sleep on and one to play on (and his own tv!), a huge screened in patio overlooking a small lake and fountain where we can all sit around the table eating breakfast....I love it all. But DANG I can't wait to be surrounded 24/7 by all the magic!

I am looking forward to refillable mugs, being able to leave the car at the resort and taking the bus/boat/monorail, buying drinks and snacks and meals with credits and not cash and enjoying all the details.

I guess in short, I feel like we've had a great Orlando/mini WDW vacation in the last four days and now it's time to begin our WDW submersion trip.

So I'm thinking maybe FTBBQ and Boma tomorrow? :woohoo:
 














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