Back from Wonderland:wAlice,Madhatter,ChesCat&White Rabbit 11/11Thank You

[TxMickeyLover]

I think we're going to have to make a point to see the AK parade this year. I've already told DH we will be eating at Flame Tree. Those ribs look delicious!

 

[hhockman]

What great updates Patricia! I'm so glad you got your first ride on EE. It's such an amazing ride, I can't wait.

I don't know if I like Chai, but that drink sure sounded good.

Love the pics from MJT. I've done both trails several times, but we always do them again. Thank goodness my kids love animals.

Good call on letting Emily go. I'm not sure I'd have been able to do it, but then I still have the 7 and 4 year olds. Maybe by the time Will is 14 I will be able. don't want to think about that.

FTB looked good. I'm hungry right now for some reason.

The last time I saw the parade I thought it was kind of boring. I think I need to watch it again and pay more attention to see what I missed.

SO glad Emily got to see Baloo...and that it made her so happy.

Looking forward to your next update!

 

[PracPerfPatricia]

Great pictures...

we really like AK and were bummed we missed most of it on our last trip....hoping the HEAT factor (I think they do pump it in too ) won't be an issue the end of November (only 1 can hope) so we'll be able to meander more too.

I have not done the MJT since it's orginal conception in 1998 and so much has changed since then.

Glad things worked out w/ Em going to ride PW again by herself...Dh figures it won't be too long in our future trips to Disney that the twins will be able to split from us to do a ride...(we figure after next yr the next family trip will be in 2013 they'll be 14 that yr )

Dis David get the cool Chinese Hat

and LOVE Mickey's Jungle Jammin Parade (or is it Jammin Jungle?)...so glad you got to see it!

Looking forward to hearing more

J-

I think November should be glorious weather wise... definitely cooler cooler than August...

MJT is really worth checking out-just lovely...hmmm we didn't get a chance this time but I remember the Pagani (Sp) Trails-with the gorillas being really cool also...

Yes-you've gotten start to let them go as they get older (doesn't mean you have to like it...)

David did get the cool Chinese Hat...(I knew as long as it fit he was going to get it so we went about three deep into the stack-cause I imagined that top one had a lot of love from being a photo prop...)...David has a real interest in Asia-especially China...(China has pandas, the Great Wall of China, Dim Sum, the Chinese language...you get the picture...somehow it's become one of his dozen or so special interests... I've always felt lucky that he has such a "variety" of interests-it allows us to shuffle them around a bit...depending on what the rest of the family is in the mood for that day...

I think it's Mickey's Jammin Jungle Parade...and around Christmas it becomes Mickey's Jammin Jingle Jungle Parade...say that 3 times fast...

I just found your TR, and can't stop reading! I love Alice in Wonderland! Thanks for sharing your adventures with us!

...Very happy to have you along... and a Very Merry Unbirthday to You...

Oh gosh but those ribs look very tasty! I think you made the right decision to let Alice head over and ride PW by herself. Sounds like it gave her just the right amount of time to appreciate your good company!
I'm a giant fan of the less drowsy Dramamine and I can't read Stellaluna without crying.....

The ribs were pretty good-I think Flame Tree does nice CS...
Alice is a pleasant companion -about 90% of the time -which I think is pretty good for a teenager-I feel very lucky to have her-but I also agree that she 's lucky to have us...

God bless the non drowsy Dramamine......

I know...I cry when I read Stellaluna too...

 

[PracPerfPatricia]

I think we're going to have to make a point to see the AK parade this year. I've already told DH we will be eating at Flame Tree. Those ribs look delicious!

imho-Flame Tree is one of the best cs in the parks...

btw-I just noticed in your siggie that 1. you have a trip coming up-congrats... and 2. you are a member of D23... hmm I was toying with asking for a membership for the holidays...are you happy with it???

What great updates Patricia! I'm so glad you got your first ride on EE. It's such an amazing ride, I can't wait.

I don't know if I like Chai, but that drink sure sounded good.

Love the pics from MJT. I've done both trails several times, but we always do them again. Thank goodness my kids love animals.

Good call on letting Emily go. I'm not sure I'd have been able to do it, but then I still have the 7 and 4 year olds. Maybe by the time Will is 14 I will be able. don't want to think about that.

FTB looked good. I'm hungry right now for some reason.

The last time I saw the parade I thought it was kind of boring. I think I need to watch it again and pay more attention to see what I missed.

SO glad Emily got to see Baloo...and that it made her so happy.

Looking forward to your next update!

I'd try a cup of chai tea at home before you commit to the frozen one at AK since it was pricey-I think it was close to $4 I happen to love those spices but they aren't everyone's cup ot tea-pun intended... but they have some lovely iced teas and hot teas depending what the weather is like...

When Emily was Will's age-I couldn't even fathom letting her go off on her own...

The ribs were pretty tasty...

Give the parade another shot... you may like it and if not that's ok too...there are so many choices at Disney-you could have 100 different vacations with different choices for different tastes- and they'd all be great...

 

[PracPerfPatricia]

Of Elephants and the Yak & Yeti...

After the Parade, we made our way back to Kilimanjaro Safaris-since we had a date with the animals...just imagine it...I really think that this attraction/ride will be a classic...I love the way it manages to be fun and educational at the same time...everyone can enjoy regardless of their age and assuming you have an engaging guide it still manages a little thrill at the same time...

We have been on this ride maybe 4-5 times since the park has opened and I have to say that it is still fresh for me...How could it not be with the animals...I remember initially being really caught up in the concept -that you are entering the reserve and trying to catch the poachers...and I still think that's a great story concept...But to me at this point...I'm just so into seeing the animals...I feel like when ever you ride it (it was 4ish this time...usually we've been in the morning...) you see some animals and its just so cool to see them so close up in such an amazingly recreated habitat...I really like the giraffes-lovely colors-fabulous facial expressions...but I have to say my favorite are the elephants...they have some pretty interesting behaviors too...in the wild -the oldest female leads all the females in the troop-the males lead kind of solitary existences...they protect their young by encircling them, the females are pregnant for 22 months...and they have a great animated film star-Dumbo...

Anyone have a really good elephant photo to insert here???...LOL

Anyway there is so much to see on the safari...that by the time we loaded, rode it and came back out of Africa-we started to make our way towards Asia and the Yak and Yeti...at this point we were all feeling pretty tired and hot-tired and hot in that way that you're starting to believe you've actually been in the bush or a jungle all day...I couldn't wait to get seated at the restaurant...

I have to say that going into this (as the planner) I was a little nervous. Yak and Yeti gets wildly swinging reviews over on the restaurant threads...Some people seem to really like it and others really rip it apart. We do have access to some pretty good Chinese food, along with Thai food so I was curious to see what this would be like...

We entered and I was pretty happy with the decor to begin with...it reminded me of something out of an Indiana Jones film-if Marian hadn't opened that bar but instead a nice little restaurant/cafe...

We were taken upstairs and seated right next to a window that provided excellent viewing of what was going on outside below...I noticed some lights/like extra large Christmas lights outside the windows and assume that when it gets dark in the winter months or I guess during the EMH-at night...they light the outside of the Y&Y and I'm betting that its really pretty...

Our server was quick and really attentive...my only complaint and this seems petty was that he kept calling us "guys" after every thing he said...Ok guys...how's everything, guys...would you like more water, guys...how about some dessert guys...I would never complain to a manager about that especially since he was a really good server...I just think he needs to chill on that a little...I wish I could have thought of a polite way of telling him that...

Anyway I digress...

After a long, hot day I decided that I wanted a cocktail...I went with the Shanghai express...I told the waiter I didn't mind something a little sweet but I didn't want candy sweet so he suggested a Shanghai Express which contains Captain Morgan Spiced Rum, Banana Liqueur, Peachtree Schnapps, and Tropical Fruit Juices (it must be those tropical fruit juices that keep the sweet in check and Hatter had a Thai Singha beer...(which I thought tastes a lot like a Budweiser-I'm not really a big beer fan and when I do drink one I usually like something dark-like a Guinness which cracks Hatter up because he thinks its funny that I don't really drink very much beer-but when I do I like something like Guinness-I'm not sure I totally get the joke...and I'm partially Irish by ancestory...well anyway...

We decided to split some of the Wok-Fried Green Beans - battered green beans, sweet Thai chili dipping sauce and Dim Sum Basket - Pork pot stickers, shrimp siu mai, cha su bao, and pork sie mai steamed on a banana leaf, soy lime dipping sauce

Poor Rabbit who we've taken to Dim Sum-which he loves...he's all about the dumplings-was less than thrilled with his kid's menu choices (although at least here you do get a choice of fried rice as a side and can choose egg roll bites as an entree...) almost dove into the Dim Sum basket. (For anyone unsure of what was in there-it was basically 2 different type of pork dumplings, a type of shrimp dumplings, and these little kind of buns filled with a sweetish kind of pork in the center-personally I preferred all the pork items to the shrimp. Everything that I tasted in there was very tasty...very similar to what you would get at a normal Chinese restaurant that serves
Dim Sum.

(..there are some really high end Dim Sum places in say San Francisco who might do better but honestly they aren't in the middle of WDW and I think that's really picking at straws...sorry pet peeve popping out-as I've mentioned before I love food, am a bit of a foodie but I think there are foodies out there that take themselves just a little too seriously...and have really done major chop jobs on this place...sigh...I'm done (for now)...

The Wok-Fried Green Beans were also really yummy...addictive...lightly battered-tempura kind of...(I don't know how this works but you could do worse then to go in their and order drinks and appetizers as a mid afternoon break...)

But we had in fact ordered dinner and it appeared quickly after the dim sum basket was removed...(we kept the string beans since we were still working on them...)

Rabbit and I had both ordered the Shaoxing Steak and Shrimp - skirt steak, tempura-battered shrimp, jasmine rice, stir-fried vegetables, chili plum dipping sauce and Alice had ordered the Duck with Anandapur Glaze - roasted half duckling, orange wasabi glaze, jasmine rice, stir-fried vegetables. Rabbit was eating his chicken bites while staring at our steak and rice-both of which he loves...so like any good parents we told him to eat his chicken bites...no we didn't -we gave him some steak and rice...The presentation was pretty-the steak was wrapped around the rice which was in a kind of column and the shrimp were on skewers and kind of criss crossed. Both the steak and the shrimp were yummy. (This isn't Chinese food per se-its kind of an Asian/American fusion. My one slightly less than great review would be for Alice's duck...it wasn't bad...it was just kind of bland...(I had suggested that she go for the ribs-which sounded awesome-but we had split some ribs earlier and she wanted the duck...I had also mentioned that we had ressies for Chefs de France the next night...and it she was going to get duck...sometimes mothers do know best....)

After we were finished...our waiter came back to see if we "guys" would like any dessert and of course we would...Alice, Hatter and I decided we would try three different things and pass them around...Mango Pie - shortbread cookie crust, fresh whipped cream, raspberry sauce, Sorbet - Mango, lemon, raspberry and the rightly famous Fried Wontons - Skewers of fresh pineapple and cream cheese wontons, vanilla ice cream, honey vanilla drizzle. The Mango Pie was very, very good-picture the consistency of key lime pie but with a mango flavor and a shortbread vs a graham cracker crust. The sorbet had a lovely presentation and was light and refreshing. The Fried Wontons...OMG...the description doesn't quite convey the yummy goodness that they bring you on a plate...the wontons are fried but kind of light taking on the texture of little pastry cups that hold this yummy melted cream cheese with these sweet/tart pineapple w/ a little ice cream...it should be entitled "Heaven on a plate-but that really wouldn't let you know what to expect...would it...?

It was overall, a very relaxed meal in a creative and unique setting, with good service and very good food-a wonderful ending to a really great day...what more can you ask for?

 

[tiggrbaby]

Oooh, what a great update! You have me really looking forward to our YAY meal! And your Rabbit looks so cute in that hat!

 

[wigdoutdismom]

OK, I'm ignorant..... what are those two white egg looking things on your "dim sum" plate? The buns? They look quite interesting!

I'm glad you had a good meal at Yak and Yeti! We have not been there yet. Like you I have read so many mixed reviews so avoided making ADRs there.

We stopped on the dining plan when Baylor was 9 because he got tired of the choices for kids and was always longing for our menu. Now that he's 10 he sometimes orders from the kids menu but sometimes not. We are doing the dining plan in December so he WILL be ordering adult meals....

 

[Charleston Princess]

You are so right about the safari -- it's a new experience every time! Love it!

Okay, I am still laughing about your Marian and her bar reference -- do you know I so wanted to be her when I was little (or Princess Leia -- hmmm, apparently I really wanted to be Harrison Ford's love interest )? Maybe that's why I adore the theming of Yak and Yeti so much!

Your food descriptions make me want to go eat there again! Mmmmm! Great update all around!

 

[Lady Lallie]

Yak N' Yeti look so YUMMY. I am so glad that Jen & I are going there.

I agree, the safari is always a different experience.

 

[Mickey_Mom]

Oh my that Shanghai Express looked very very yummy and refreshing! I loved the atmosphere of the Y&Y from your pictures!

 

[TxMickeyLover]

We loved the Fried Wonton dessert. Overall, we weren't very impressed with Yak &Yeti, but we ate there just after they opened, so perhaps they were still getting some kinks out. But the dessert was excellent!

 

[jenjolt]

OOOH those lovely Fried Wontons will soon be mine!! I just loved that dessert and I can't wait to have them again! I'm thinking of trying the steak and shrimp this time around I'm glad you gave it a great review!!!

I too adore the safari for the animals!!

Great update!!

 

[hhockman]

Great update again. We love the safari too. Christian even loved it at 2. It really is for everybody.

Yak & Yeti looks yummy. I wanted to try to get an ADR for there for the girls while the guys are golfing, but, of course AK closes at 5. So we're going to Nine Dragons. The girls like Chinese food, the guys don't. Oh well. Maybe next time.

I love Rabbit's hat.

I have a feeling even my 7 year old is going to get tired of the kids' menu. I think we'll be doing some sharing too.

 

[mickeysmyboy]

Sounds like a good meal at Yak and Yeti!! I love your take on being a foodie! I may have said that before, if I did I really mean it Your so right, there are foodies who take themselves way to serious!!

I also loved your Indiana Jones reference!! DS6 is a HUGE Indy fan!!

 

[dismagiclover]

Great update Good for Rabbit that he branches out beyond the chicken bites. My kids think deep fried chicken is gourmet DD is finally starting to come out of that, but it's been a struggle It looks like Y&Y is definitely worth trying which is great because there isn't a lot of TS in the AK. Can't wait for more.

 

[mousescrapper]

Ohhhh

Dinner sounded and looked DIVINE....I may have to put this on my potential TS list for the trip in 2011 for DH & I, we want to eat at places we wouldn't normally go w/ the kids (well at least yet) and as though I think the kids would like it, poor Margaret would be left out in the cold w/ her egg and dairy intolerances at a mainly Chinese inspired restaurant...

As you were writing about being called "guys" I kept theinking of "hey youz guys" like w/ a thick NY accent say from Casino, or those annimated pigons in some Warner Brothers cartoon...

 

[PracPerfPatricia]

Oooh, what a great update! You have me really looking forward to our YAY meal! And your Rabbit looks so cute in that hat!

Thanks...-you'll love Yak & Yeti-I saw some ribs going by-they looked really good too...

Rabbit loved/loves his hat...and with his whole Chinese interest...well I just had to get it...even though it was a bear to take home...we were able to get it into the overhead on the plane...

OK, I'm ignorant..... what are those two white egg looking things on your "dim sum" plate? The buns? They look quite interesting!

I'm glad you had a good meal at Yak and Yeti! We have not been there yet. Like you I have read so many mixed reviews so avoided making ADRs there.

We stopped on the dining plan when Baylor was 9 because he got tired of the choices for kids and was always longing for our menu. Now that he's 10 he sometimes orders from the kids menu but sometimes not. We are doing the dining plan in December so he WILL be ordering adult meals....

They are buns...they do look eggy in my picture don't they...I think that's just my photography...They really are tasty...Do you know of a children's author named Grace Lin? (she does picture books-a lot with her family in them...Chinese-American...beautiful, colorful illustrations...She has one called "Dim Sum for Everyone"...it's a short, lovely, colorful story that explains dim sum and shows the family eating it...her illustrations are far prettier than my photos...

I think if you order sort of on the "safe" side -you can't go wrong-the steak, the ribs...and the desserts......plus you have to have a drink...

The kids meals could use a bit of work...I don't know why they couldn't just do kid's portions of some of the more basic adult selections???-We were on the Dining Plan this time but honestly it is sort of silly that one year you are a child (9) eating nuggets and fries and then all of a sudden you're ten and supposed to be graduated to adult cuisine...a little flexibility would be nice...Even Alice or I would sometimes like two appetizers one for an app and the other as an entree but you can't really do that on DDP...but it is nice knowing your costs up front...and if you plan well it's a good deal

You are so right about the safari -- it's a new experience every time! Love it!

Okay, I am still laughing about your Marian and her bar reference -- do you know I so wanted to be her when I was little (or Princess Leia -- hmmm, apparently I really wanted to be Harrison Ford's love interest )? Maybe that's why I adore the theming of Yak and Yeti so much!

Your food descriptions make me want to go eat there again! Mmmmm! Great update all around!

Harrison Ford got some really good roles back in the day...and he was hunky to boot...I'm not sure who I prefer Hans...or Indy...maybe Indy by a slight edge because that combo of brains and adventurer is pretty hard to resist...although Hans was just plain (as Alice and her friends would say) 'hot"...

Yak N' Yeti look so YUMMY. I am so glad that Jen & I are going there.

I agree, the safari is always a different experience.

You and Jen will have a great time there

Try to snap me a good elephant picture on the safari if you remember... I love the elephants...except for those mean elephants that made fun of Dumbo's ears...

 

[PracPerfPatricia]

Oh my that Shanghai Express looked very very yummy and refreshing! I loved the atmosphere of the Y&Y from your pictures!

They had quite a nice drink menu...the decor/theming of Y & Y really make it an attraction in itself...hmm that's why I'm wondering whether you could just go in for some drinks and appetizers mid afternoon-that would be kind of fun...I'm going to have to check on that one...

We loved the Fried Wonton dessert. Overall, we weren't very impressed with Yak &Yeti, but we ate there just after they opened, so perhaps they were still getting some kinks out. But the dessert was excellent!

Ah...I challenge anyone to not like the fried wontons...maybe they didn't have their groove yet, maybe some dishes are just better and maybe it wasn't your thing...that's why we're so lucky to so many restaurants to choose from...

OOOH those lovely Fried Wontons will soon be mine!! I just loved that dessert and I can't wait to have them again! I'm thinking of trying the steak and shrimp this time around I'm glad you gave it a great review!!!

I too adore the safari for the animals!!

Great update!!

Maybe you "guys" will get the same waiter we had...he'll take good care of you "guys"...(I shouldn't tease...he was actually very sweet...-you could do worse... The wontons really were/are lovely... I would recommend the shrimp and steak-next time I'm going for the ribs though-I want to try them...

Could you please take an elephant photo if you remember, please?...gosh I feel like Oliver Twist...just one more elephant photo if you please sir...

 

[PracPerfPatricia]

Great update again. We love the safari too. Christian even loved it at 2. It really is for everybody.

Yak & Yeti looks yummy. I wanted to try to get an ADR for there for the girls while the guys are golfing, but, of course AK closes at 5. So we're going to Nine Dragons. The girls like Chinese food, the guys don't. Oh well. Maybe next time.

I love Rabbit's hat.

I have a feeling even my 7 year old is going to get tired of the kids' menu. I think we'll be doing some sharing too.

I like how the safari is all age friendly...I'm trying to put together a mental list of all those kind of rides for next year when we'll have my in-laws (definitely) and my niece and nephew 1.5 & 5 (possibly)

Ooo-you have to write about Nine Dragons-I haven't eaten there and would love to hear about it...

Rabbit loves his hat too...a lot...he wants to celebrate Chinese New Year this year also......(last year when he studied Mexico in school-he wanted to celebrate the Day of the Day too...we actually did)...but this interest in China...I can only guess where its headed...

I think unless you are a really die hard picky eater (nuggets and fries all the way...24/7-the kids menu looses its allure quickly-and as much as I'm a carrot fan...how many paks of those baby carrots can you go through before you've had it......and when they start looking at your food...of course you're going to share...

Sounds like a good meal at Yak and Yeti!! I love your take on being a foodie! I may have said that before, if I did I really mean it Your so right, there are foodies who take themselves way to serious!!

I also loved your Indiana Jones reference!! DS6 is a HUGE Indy fan!!

I have a couple foodie friends like that...and I'll tease them about it...sometimes nothing really beats a great burger or here in "Philly" a good cheesesteak...

Indy rocks...really he does-and I think the fact that he appeals to your son just shows that they are really good stories/well made films...(hmm...I think the second film went a little off track but even that was good...) I'd love them to update the stunt show at Studios but only because I've seen it about 3 times...The Indiana Jones Ride at Disneyland...is so amazing...I wish they'd bring it to Florida...

Great update Good for Rabbit that he branches out beyond the chicken bites. My kids think deep fried chicken is gourmet DD is finally starting to come out of that, but it's been a struggle It looks like Y&Y is definitely worth trying which is great because there isn't a lot of TS in the AK. Can't wait for more.

Rabbit is actually a pretty decent little eater although it is a struggle to add new fruits and veggies...we pretty much have apples, oranges, pineapple, stingbeans, carrots, cucumbers, maybe some raw broccoli and corn (if you count that as a veggie...)

Definitely would love to see another TS in AK...hmm...how could we theme it...?

Ohhhh

Dinner sounded and looked DIVINE....I may have to put this on my potential TS list for the trip in 2011 for DH & I, we want to eat at places we wouldn't normally go w/ the kids (well at least yet) and as though I think the kids would like it, poor Margaret would be left out in the cold w/ her egg and dairy intolerances at a mainly Chinese inspired restaurant...

As you were writing about being called "guys" I kept theinking of "hey youz guys" like w/ a thick NY accent say from Casino, or those annimated pigons in some Warner Brothers cartoon...

egg and dairy-that's tough...for you and her...

You know I was really torn with this "guy"...I thinkkk...remembering his name badge that he might have been from Cuba...and he really was trying hard...I was really torn between saying something kind of gentle to him...that he was a really great server but maybe he should just ease up on all the "guys"(EVERY SENTENCE) but I didn't want to offend him...hopefully his manager will over hear him and say something to him...

 

[wigdoutdismom]

Do you know of a children's author named Grace Lin? (she does picture books-a lot with her family in them...Chinese-American...beautiful, colorful illustrations...She has one called "Dim Sum for Everyone"...it's a short, lovely, colorful story that explains dim sum and shows the family eating it...her illustrations are far prettier than my photos...

I think I might have read something by her last year for Chinese New Year. I have some red envelopes left from our celebration, certainly not enough for this year's group. I'd be happy to send you some! Just PM me your info.