Birthdays. Back Pain. Battlestar Galactica. - Our May 2024 WDW Adventure! *THE END! 09/01*

[Newsies]

Those ears are seriously so cute!

Thank you so much!!!

LOVE those ears!!

Thank you Paula!!!

LOVE THE EARS!

THANKS !!!

Yep, those ears are FABULOUS! I'm definitely going to check out that option!

Thank you THANK YOU!!! Can't recommend them enough!!!

I love the design on those ears!

Thank you so much!!! The team/design process makes it so easy to request what you'd like

I love the ears, really cute! I also love the pictures on Main Street! Your bag is really cute
Is it comfortable having the pack across your front? I have seen so many of these and I am not sure I would like that!

Thank you very much Caroline!!!

I found it more comfortable to have my bag slung around my chest like this versus on my waist like a traditional hip pack! This also made it much easier to take off and easier to access my wallet/phone/chargers -- I wore it like this all week!

What a great trip report! I’m really enjoying reading along and look forward to hearing more

Thank you very, very much!

I am looooooving this trip report!! Thank you so much for detailing your family trip to the parks, and I can’t wait to see what happens next!

Thank you so much, I appreciate this!!!

I would email photopass and see if you can get the photo. It could take some time for them to respond after the fact, but for future reference you can stop at photopass locations in the parks to find any missing photos. It’s easiest if you know like the twenty minute window you were at the ride or photographer. I am basically always making a pit stop to photopass on my way out of the parks to retrieve missing photos, and it’s way quicker to do in person than emailing them afterwards.

Great tip! Thank you so much! I remember going to Epcot Photopass a few years ago to retrieve some lost photos from the Character Spot in Epcot, but have been hesitant to reach out to anyone in the past few trips just knowing that some of these ride photos just take a long time to load into your account (the Space Ranger Spin one in this next update took a few days to appear). I didn't know about the email tip -- I will reach out!

 

[Newsies]

Day 2, Part 3
Steakhouse 71 Dinner​

I took a quick nap back at the hotel room while everyone else got ready, and as I was getting up from the bed, I remember saying for the first time that my back hurt. I didn't think anything of it at the time because we had been doing so much more walking than usual in the past few days -- it felt normal. I told mom that I was going to go on a quick walk to the GCH to see if maybe it was the bad mattress I was sleeping on, sometimes moving around can make things better.

I walked to the GCH and looked around Boutiki. I don't nearly have enough Poly merch, so when I saw this Polynesian Village Resort Loungefly, I knew it had to be mine. I also realized I didn't have a backpack at all on this trip, so I figured I'd pick this up while I was there in case I got sick of my belt bag and wanted a Loungefly instead.

I went back to the room, and a few minutes later, everyone was finally ready to leave for dinner. We hopped on a packed monorail at GCH and then headed to the Contemporary Resort for our dinner reservation at Steakhouse 71!

We arrived at the Contemporary very close to our dinner reservation, so I was able to check in as soon as we got off the escalator to the grand floor of the building. Our table was ready immediately, so we went right up to the host stand to check in for dinner!

We've eaten at this restaurant at every Disney trip we've been on since 2017 -- we first went to The Wave as a spur-of-the-moment decision on the last evening of our trip in Aug '17 and it was love at first bite. We loved our food, we loved the ambiance of the restaurant, and we loved the Cast. It was such an enjoyable experience that we've been back for every trip, and when it re-opened as Steakhouse 71, we were equally thrilled with the offerings on the menu and loved that it still "felt" the same as The Wave.

Our server tonight was Ali and we loved him. He was very funny and personable and he gave us honest and thorough insights into the menu. One of many, many amazing CMs at Steakhouse 71!

He took our drink orders and we all ordered cocktails except for Grace, who wanted the lemonade with cotton candy flavoring from the Kids menu. She asked for it without the souvenir cup, but alas... there was no way to order the drink without ordering the Frozen cup.

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To drink, I got the Curious Cold Brew, made with Maker’s Mark Bourbon, Joffrey’s Cold Brew, Maple, and Vanilla Bean Cream.

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This was highly recommended by someone my dad was talking to at the pool that day, and I think we've all established at this point that I'm all in on coffee drinks, especially a good espresso martini situation. This didn't work for me -- I thought this was just really one note, with the Bourbon being the only thing I could taste.

Even though we were using a DDP credit on this meal, we still ordered the bread service appetizer out of pocket. This is a potato brioche with whipped butter and a roasted garlic tomato spread.

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This is a pretty run-of-the-mill bread service for Disney. Nothing that will "wow" you, especially on a night like ours where the bread had been sitting out for a little bit. With that being said, bread or a soup or salad is really all you need to start off your meal here -- the entrees are enough as it is!

Mine, tonight, was a cut of prime rib with red wine sauce and macaroni and cheese.

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Absolutely divine. One of my favorite meals on property. The cuts are always good at Steakhouse 71 -- I've never had a bad steak and tonight was no exception, well-marbled, tender, and cooked to the perfect "pink". This was especially good with the red wine sauce, which had the perfect amount of sweetness. That macaroni and cheese on top is my second favorite on property -- al dente and creamy, but not soupy. Overall, this was exactly as I remembered it

Naturally, we were stuffed, but since we were on the DDP, we got dessert anyway -- the rest of the family enjoyed an espresso creme brulee that looked really good, but I was in the mood for birthday cake, so I ordered their signature chocolate cake with 15 layers of cake, mousse, and chocolate.

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As you can imagine, this was very rich, so a few bites of this was all I enjoyed before it was time for us to roll ourselves out the door and back to the monorail station.

We stopped at BLT Gifts on our way to the monorail and I saw a pink Tinker Bell shirt I liked, which mom bought for me (thank you mom!)

The plan was to head back to the room before going back out to MK so mom could change into different shoes, but while I was trolling the app for Genie+ LLs, I saw an available Space Mountain LL and snagged that. Mom and Grace don't go on Space Mountain and dad was headed back to the room to call it a night, so it was just me on this journey to Space Mountain, which meant solo time for me.

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I headed right to Space Mountain. I don't go on SM every trip because it's always so awkward getting in and out of this particular coaster for whatever reason, so I forgot about how genuinely scary the darkness can be at times! I still love it, though. Once I got off, there was one final purchase of the day that I wanted to make, and I had only seen it at the Space Mountain gift shop -- it was the weighted Baby Yoda plush! I bought him and then headed towards my next activity, Peoplemover. There was no wait, so I basically walked right on, and while I was on there, I was able to get a LL for my next ride, Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin.

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And yeah, if you're wondering: Baby Yoda beat me!

The fireworks were just about to begin and I was getting tired/not prepared to deal with Fireworks crowds, so it was time for me to head back to the resort. I remember having a really lovely conversation with another DVC family on the boat where we shared our mutual dislike of the new Poly tower.

Anyway, by 10:30, I was showered and in bed, where I fell asleep as a 26-year-old for the last time.

Up next: happy birthday to me!

Click here to continue​

 

[LoveToDisney]

I spotted Baby Yoda and delighted he wanted to join the battle with you.
Happy Birthday! I’m looking forward to your next post to hear all about your special day.

 

[Newsies]

I spotted Baby Yoda and delighted he wanted to join the battle with you.
Happy Birthday! I’m looking forward to your next post to hear all about your special day.

Thanks so much!!! Believe it or not, he earned galactic hero... something I've never done before

 

[Newsies]

Day 3, Part 1
My Morning With Walt
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May 21-- my 27th birthday!

I had an alarm set for 6:45 this morning, planning to get Test Track LL first thing for my family so we could loop around to Akershus as easily and quickly as possible. I was really successful! I was able to get Test Track for 9:20 and I had my GotG ILL for just before that at 9:00.

I got dressed and snuck out of the room around 7:30, just in time to hit Monorail Red from the TTC to enjoy a quiet morning at Epcot with Early Morning Entry.

I was just hungry this morning, and with a few hours to go still before Akershus, I figured there wouldn't be any harm in getting a birthday donut and caramel iced latte from Joffrey's before hitting the park.

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This stand, which is right in front of the main gate, is my all-time favorite place to get coffee in all of Walt Disney World. Nobody is EVER over there, especially in the morning, because everyone is so hyper-focused on getting through these tapstiles to get to their first ride. It's so easy to just grab your coffee and donut and enjoy it while tapping into the park.

Oh, and Joffrey's > Starbucks. I love this creamy, delicious iced latte that's sweeter than Starbucks but not as sweet as Dunkin'! My pink iced donut was pretty good too, but it may have been a day old or so. Not like it mattered.

I was waaaaay too giddy to see this Asha display at the front of the Park!

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I tapped through the Early Morning Entry point and found a place to sit down just past Spaceship Earth so I could enjoy my donut before starting the day. That took all of 5 minutes before I was up and ready to explore the new World Discovery!

World Discovery was still under heavy construction the last time we visited, and let me tell you... after 4(ish?) years of nothing but walls around the back of Spaceship Earth, it's really nice to just walk through the center of World Discovery. No convoluted alleyways, no getting confused which way you're going, just a simple walk straight back. Big fan of no more ConstructionCOT.

I had nowhere to be, didn't want to stray too far from where I needed to be for my GotG ILL at 9. I just kind of walked around and admired all of the new scenery, greenery, and sights -- I actually really love what they've done to World Discovery, it's very clean and simple.

As the majority of rope drop warriors marched onwards to the "holding point" for World Showcase to get ready for Remy or Frozen, I noticed a new little alcove right in the center of World Discovery, with steps and ramps leading up to a concrete bench. Someone was sitting there all alone, unphased by the rest of the World waking up to make more core memories here in Epcot.

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And so, I rope dropped People Watching With Walt on my 27th birthday, and if I'm being honest: it was my favorite memory of our entire vacation.

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I'm not a superfan of Walt, but he was really excited for Epcot and what it could become. He had a vision for this Park that was so different from Magic Kingdom and Disneyland. He had the drive, the mind, the ambition, and all the creativity in the world to make an idea like Epcot become a reality -- and even though it's not quite what he had in mind, it's still my favorite Park and probably the first place that would come to mind if you asked me, "Hey Kait! If you could be anywhere in the world right now, where would you be?" (Except for maybe a Jonas Brothers concert if you asked me on the wrong day). I love the Partners statue, but he had already seen Main Street USA come to fruition in California. And again, I'm not someone who idolizes Walt or drones on and on about him "rolling in his grave" or how his vision measures up to how the Parks operate today -- but credit where credit is due, I'm only the person I am today because he had a one-of-a-kind mind and a vision for Walt Disney World. And I'm just really, really glad he gets to finally see Epcot now.

I sat there for a good 5 or 6 minutes and thought about all of this stuff and reflected on my DCP and my first 27 years of life. It was really peaceful and quiet -- the crowds that were < 100 feet in front of me felt like they were miles away. It's not even that there wasn't anywhere else I had to be. There was really nowhere else I wanted to be. Already done Remy's 2-3 times, already done Frozen a dozen times, can't count how many times I've done the World Discovery attractions + I had Test Track and GotG LLs on deck... sitting here and people watching in Epcot with Walt was the one thing I was happy to get done.

After some time, out of the corner of my eye I could see two girls coming up the ramp to take photos with the statue. They stopped when they saw me, but I stood up immediately and motioned them over.

"Sorry, we just wanted to take photos with the statue." One of the girls blushed.

"No, no, I have to get moving on my day! You go right on ahead." I assured her.

"I love this moment you're having with him, though!" She smiled. I offered to take some photos for them, and one of them kindly took a photo for me, too:

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So that's my self-indulgent and fake-deep story about how I sat with a statue and pretended it was a real person I was really looking at Epcot with instead of rope dropping Epcot the correct way (using a stroller as a battering ram to get to the front of the Remy's line in the AM). I think this is the first and last of its kind for this TR.

Anyway, I went back to the front of the park and saw they were letting people on to Spaceship Earth, so I got in line because I figured I would get out of there just in time to make it to my GotG ILL, which was correct. As I was getting off of Spaceship Earth, Grace texted me to let me know that the rest of the family was getting on Spaceship Earth, so I told them I was going to my GotG ILL and to meet me at Test Track entry when I was done so we could get that done before heading to breakfast.

I tapped into GotG very quickly and made it through the pre-show with no time to waste.

Here's my real-time reaction to getting "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" on my birthday:

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Ugh I love this coaster SO MUCH!!! I have so much fun here. Also -- I really appreciate that they have "back up" dialogue they can run before the big launch in case there's a delay. Fills the awkward silence really nicely and keeps the energy from dying.

Then it was time to meet up with the family for Test Track. After a few birthday hugs, we tapped in and Grace and I of course created this beast:

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This is always a fun one for my family! We don't always get to go on Test Track because it's usually down in the morning when we have time to ride it OR the LLs sell out before we can get back to it, but it's one of those rides that my family unanimously agrees is one of the best. I'm excited to return to it once it's back up from refurbishment!

Once we got off Test Track, it was time for us to head to Norway for breakfast.

Click here to continue​

 

[Paulaparm]

Nice start to your birthday !!

 

[SaraSpringsIsHome]

So that's my self-indulgent and fake-deep story about how I sat with a statue and pretended it was a real person I was really looking at Epcot with instead of rope dropping Epcot the correct way

I LOVE this for you. What a fun a memorable start to your birthday. I think that’s what I’m looking forward to for my solo trip next month/ the little moments of just being.

Ugh I love this coaster SO MUCH!!! I have so much fun here.

Seriously SO good!!!

 

[LoveToDisney]

Love all your pics! Look forward to hearing more.

 

[hpygrll]

Coffee with Walt is the PERFECT birthday morning!

 

[PAsFab5]

What a perfect birthday!!!

 

[piglet1979]

This is a potato brioche with whipped butter and a roasted garlic tomato spread.

Mine, tonight, was a cut of prime rib with red wine sauce and macaroni and cheese.

These look so good. I have heard nothing but good things from Steakhouse 71. I am going to have to go on our next visit.

Your birthday morning sounded perfect.

 

[Newsies]

Nice start to your birthday !!

Couldn't have planned a better one if I tried!!!

I LOVE this for you. What a fun a memorable start to your birthday. I think that’s what I’m looking forward to for my solo trip next month/ the little moments of just being.

It was such a nice & refreshing way to start a Disney day! That's what I love most about solo adventures -- there can be as many of these little moments as you want because there's no one else around to divert your attention!

Seriously SO good!!!

The best, I hope we see more of these types of coasters!

Love all your pics! Look forward to hearing more.

Thank you so much!

Coffee with Walt is the PERFECT birthday morning!

I'll never forget it!

What a perfect birthday!!!

You said it!!

These look so good. I have heard nothing but good things from Steakhouse 71. I am going to have to go on our next visit.

It is truly so good, one of my family's all-time favorites!

Your birthday morning sounded perfect.

It was the loveliest morning ever!

 

[Newsies]

Day 3, Part 2: Epcot Afternoon I​

We arrived in Norway a few minutes before our reservation for Akershus and spent some time walking around the stores. We didn't buy anything but I did spritz myself with Laila!

Once we were called back to the podium stand for Akershus, they sat us in a corner of front room near where the old buffet line used to be and our very sweet waitress came around to take drink orders and give us our cold appetizers, which were just a plate of pastries. ham & cheese, and some type of jam, plus a bowl of cold fruit.

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Took a bite of an apple turnover situation and it was just a Costco bakery turnover -- nothing special here. Fruit was fine.

To drink, I had the Princess Mimosa. I am going to be honest -- I don't know what was in this. I know there was juice and sparkling wine because that's pretty much all I could taste. And there was glitter! I liked it.

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After she took our drink orders, I asked her if we would be able to get the plant-based apple cake. I explained that nobody in our party had any allergies or preferences, but that we had heard there was a really good apple cake and if we asked nicely, we might have been able to get one. She was SO excited that I even asked and told me it was her favorite thing on the menu! She brought one out and it truly was one of the best things we ate on the trip -- it was warm and moist and cinnamony and buttery.

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Here's the main entree platter, which comes with bacon, sausage, eggs, a glorious cheesy potato situation, and these soft, warm, leige waffles that are shaped like hearts:

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I was very pleasantly surprised with how great everything on this tray was. The eggs were cooked perfectly and the bacon was crispy. I preferred the waffles here to Mickey Waffles -- they were soft, almost like a pancake, but still had those luscious dimples for collecting syrup and had a nice vanilla taste to them. My favorite dish, as you can imagine, was the cheese potatoes. You all know I LOVE a cheese-y potato casserole, and these had a nice cheese pull to them and were fresh and hot. I actually asked for more of them. I have to say, I was not expecting this much from Akershus! Forgive me, Akershus, I was unfamiliar with your game.

Akershus (and CRT, for what it's worth) has a pretty inconsistent lineup, so you don't really know who you're going to get on any given day until you get there. Today we met Belle, Tiana, Aurora, Snow White, and Ariel.

Grace really loved Snow White here and got a kick of how delicately she was holding her dress while she walked. Belle invited me to visit her in the castle and I told her I bet I would have a lot of fun gossiping with the feather dusters. Otherwise, it was just an average character dining experience -- but I've found it's pretty much the same across the board with all of the classic princesses, so if you're thinking you'll get a better interaction at CRT because you're spending more money to eat at the castle, it's really just not going to happen that way. Between the good food and the non-difference in character interaction you get here, I think Akershus is just a better value and overall better choice for a princess breakfast at WDW.

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When we were done with breakfast, we started making our way through the rest of the countries in the showcase.

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We stopped in Italy to look at one of the shops, and I saw this very cute scrunchie! I had actually been searching for one similar to this (white with a "long tail") before our trip because I thought it might be cute with the outfit I had planned for my birthday dinner. I ended up buying her!

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We also caught a few minutes of Sergio's act as he began. He threw a ball at me, I threw it back to him, we're besties.

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(Continued in next post for image hosting purposes)

 

[Newsies]

Day 3, Part 3: Epcot Afternoon II​

As we left Italy, we caught a Photopass photographer and had some pictures taken!

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#magicshot with my gworl Isabela

Dad stopped at the Joffrey's stand ahead of American Adventure because he wanted to try an Iced Tea of sorts that they were serving and I ordered one, too. This is the Tropical Frosted Iced Tea, which was a Flower & Garden Festival exclusive. There was frozen lemonade, REGULAR lemonade, iced tea, and some type of orange syrup business all up in here. I love a half-and-half moment and this was a tropical take on it!

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We walked through Mitsukoshi too, but the heat was starting to get to my parents, and they wanted to wrap up the morning and get back to the hotel. This day would thus prove to be our most functional waste of Genie+ funds, as we only did Test Track before Frozen and Remy were sold out until 8 PM, and we wouldn't be back later to do so.

When we got to France, there was one thing that I really wanted to do for my birthday, and it was to order an engraved perfume bottle from Plume et Palette!

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If you didn't follow along on my PTR, this was something I found out about earlier this year and I really fell in love with it. Basically, at this store in France, you can get a bottle of select Dior perfumes engraved (they have Miss Dior and J'Adore options) with a design and your name/year of your trip. There is one caveat, which is that the designers are only in house for a day or two between Thurs-Sun, so availability might not always work out during your trip. However -- you can order a bottle of perfume earlier in the week to have it be engraved later in the week, and you can choose to pick it up when it's ready OR have it shipped to your home!

I walked up to the CM at the perfume wall and told her that I was interested in ordering an engraved perfume bottle. I had a vision for a Miss Dior bottle engraved with the castle, but she insisted that I smelled the J'Adore first, and I'm going to be honest, I fell in love. It was really light and floral and didn't smell old-school, so I was hooked, and I ordered that instead. The ordering process was super simple -- you just fill out a form and pay and tell them if you'd like to pick it up when it's ready or have it shipped to your home. I told them I'd be back on Friday to pick it up, and they had me take a photo of your receipt or keep it in a safe place, as you'll need it to pick up your order later on in the week.

With that out of the way, we started heading towards the UK, stopping for more Photopass pictures.

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At the UK, while mom & Grace started looking around the shops, I headed into Rose & Crown for one of my favorite drinks, the Welsh Dragon. It was way too hot and we were full from breakfast, so I hadn't been able to enjoy any of the festival booth offerings, but that wasn't going to stop me from having a Welsh Dragon. This strong, sweet, and FLUORESCENT concoction is mixed with peach schnapps, melon liquour, creme de menthe, and an assortment of fruit juices. If you want something sweet that's gonna cool you down with creme de menthe on a hot day... this is your girl.

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Thriving in Epcot with a drink in hand... THIS is 27!

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We decided to leave Epcot through the International Gateway. Mom is obsessed with the Skyliner, so we agreed to take the Skyliner to Hollywood Studios and bus back to the Poly from there. On our way out, we stopped at World Traveler so I could get myself one last present. I was due for a new Dooney and chose the black leather sketch print crossbody -- I have this print in a satchel already and I love it so much!

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I was in between this or a classic white sketch bag, but I'm glad I chose this one instead -- I love the size of this bag and it's so cute, plus it comes with a duster bag.

We carried out our plan of heading back to the Poly via Skyliner to DHS to bus transfer, and then spent a few hours by the pool. We went to the Lava Pool first, but it was closed. This would end up happening a few more times during our trip, context clues told us there might have been some type of water main issue, as we saw quite a few managers and construction workers blocking off a busted pipe more than once during our week here. In any case, we spent some time at the "quiet pool" (which would quickly become chaotic as the only working pool at the resort) and then got ready for our exquisite dinner at Shula's, which I can't wait to talk about in the next post!

Click here to continue​

 

[LoveToDisney]

Loved your pic with Isabella!!

 

[Newsies]

Loved your pic with Isabella!!

Thank you, that was one of my favorites too! Such a fun magic shot!

 

[Newsies]

Day 3, Part 3:
Dinner at Shula's
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We called a Minnie Van around 6:00 to take us to Shula's. It was our first time using Minnie Van versus a regular ride share service, and even though we paid a premium, we were really happy with the service, speed, and friendliness of our driver, so we would continue to use this service throughout the week one or two more times.

Birthday outfit reveal at the Dolphin Hotel!

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First thoughts on the Dolphin were mixed. I was very impressed with most of the interior design here, especially the lights overhead that are meant to look like the starry night sky in that main concourse you have to walk through to get to the lobby. With that being said, the open-concept lobby with the bar in the middle did feel a bit "Vegas-y" for Walt Disney World, and I wasn't impressed with the two shops they had or the look of the grab-and-go counters that serve as quick service here -- overall, it just felt like a very watered down Deluxe Resort. A lot of people have told me that Swolphin is generally less expensive than other resorts on property, but I actually priced out Swolphin while I was planning my September trip and found that this was absolutely not the case and that it was close to 10k for the week.

If I was doing a 3 or 4 day trip just for Food & Wine and maybe a Halloween Party, I would consider booking a Swan/Dolphin room, especially if I'd have the opportunity to do the Food & Wine Collective even that's hosted here. But if I'm doing a week of full parks, I'm probably not going to book a stay here any time soon.

With that being said, we were here for dinner at Shula's alone and it was a very impressive dinner.

I'd love to preface this dining review with a few words on this concept of "Unreasonable Hospitality" and the profound effect it's had on my professional life in the past year. In 2022, Will Guidara (former co-owner of Eleven Madison Park with many years of experience in the restaurant & hospitality industry) released a biographical leadership book entitled Unreasonable Hospitality: The Remarkable Power of Giving People More Than They Expect. It is absolutely fabulous, I will link it here on Amazon if you haven't read it yet. He draws from his experiences in various restaurants throughout his life to speak on truly building connections with customers, deepening partnerships between the dining room staff and the kitchen staff, and crafting these truly memorable, out-of-the-box moments of bespoke hospitality that customers can remember and carry with them throughout their lives. This book has basically been my life for the past year as I help my new team at work build out these principals for our business, which is not a traditional "hospitality" based company, but we are all in on Will Giudara's teachings. I am actually going to get on a call with my manager this afternoon so we can buy tickets to his hospitality conference in NYC this fall, we're this obsessed with him. If you can't read the book, you can watch his Ted Talk on YouTube here to get an idea of what I'm talking about. The point is: I've really turned this idea of great customer service into a lens that I view all service interactions with, and I was really excited to visit Shula's because this is the type of elevated dining experience that we don't often encounter at home -- I was ready to be "wow"ed by the service here and learn a few things I could take back to my customers.

So let's get into it.

We checked in close to 7:00 and we were quickly brought to our table, which was a prime location tucked away into a little back corner where nobody could disturb us. Not like anybody would disturb us -- the restaurant was quiet and dark in the best possible ways, and not crowded at all.

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We would have a team of two different waiters for our dinner tonight. Doug was sort of a head waiter for the tables in our area, who would handle our entrees and dessert, and Fabi was more of a second-in-command who would assist us more personally with order taking, drinks, and appetizers.

We met Doug first, who greeted us almost immediately after we sat down to welcome us to Shula's. The first five minutes of our experience were truly just pleasant conversation. He wanted to know where we were from, if we had visited Walt Disney World before, what we had done that day and what we were planning on doing tomorrow. Just some very casual, authentic conversation to lay the groundwork for a very nice evening ahead. Eventually, he explained to us how the service was going to work between him and Fabi, and the kind of pacing we could expect from this evening. He said one thing at the end of his monologue that really stuck with me:

"You are required to love everything." Doug informed us. "If there is something you want to try and you don't love it, we will take it back."

Loved this commitment to our satisfaction at the beginning of the meal -- it really let us know that Shula's was serious about our happiness.

He eventually went to greet another table, and several moments later, we met Fabi for the first time. Fabi started heading in our direction with a glass of champagne and a note, so I was already blushing when he asked who was celebrating a birthday.

"This glass of champagne and note is complimentary, I believe you know who sent this!" He said as he put the glass down in front of me and handed me a note.

Upon seeing the note and hearing that it was from someone I "know," my first reaction was, "oh, cute! A card signed by Mickey!" But I was very surprised to see that it wasn't from Mickey at all. It turns out that my manager and her manager had called Shula's to order champagne and a card after a passing conversation I had with them about how excited I was to be here on my birthday.

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The whole family got very emotional over this -- this was a very sweet way to end my birthday at Walt Disney World, and a reminder of how much I love what I do back home and how much I love the people I work with.

Fabi dropped off some sourdough bread for the table and took our drink orders. I was prepared to order a wine with my dinner tonight, but given that my coworkers already had me covered in the champagne department, I asked if he could recommend a cocktail for me. After several questions about my preferences, he recommended the Blueberry Martini with Pearl Blueberry Vodka, Cranberry, House Sour, and Sweet Blueberries.

While we were waiting for Fabi to come back with these drinks, I noticed a very tender moment happen at the table next to me -- I hesitated to write about it here because it's somewhat sensitive, but I really wanted to call it out because I loved being able to catch this moment. After Fabi disappeared, a party of three was sat at the table just behind mom & dad. They were quietly talking amongst themselves for a little while, until I noticed the gentleman closest to mom and dad stand up. It looked like he was waiting for something. In fact, he was waiting for Fabi, who was now heading our way with our drinks. As soon as Fabi saw this gentleman, he put our drinks down and wordlessly pulled this customer into a warm embrace. After a moment, he pulled back and started wiping tears away, telling this man that he was sorry to hear about the passing of his mother and that she was such a sweet woman that would be missed so dearly. I got misty-eyed as I watched this happen while the rest of my family talked. And then after a moment, Fabi returned to our table to pour our drinks and apologized for the wait, explaining that he was talking to the customer next to us, who has been a faithful customer of 10+ years and just lost his mother.

I thought this was moment was so tender and precious and really the ultimate mark of high-end service. To cultivate a relationship with your customers that goes beyond the table and shares milestones in life with you... I have chills just writing this. Fabi, you are a rockstar.

Anyway, we told him that it was absolutely no trouble and that we were sorry to hear of this woman's passing and he poured our drinks. Here's my martini:

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I don't love blueberries, but I LOVED this martini. This was perfectly light and refreshing, sweet and summery. This was the smoothest martini I've ever had, with none of that harsh alcohol taste that makes me sick to my stomach. I would come to Shula's just to sit at the bar and enjoy this cocktail.

We loved the bread, too. Nice, crusty exterior with the perfect mellow sourdough "tang" to it.

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Our appetizers were next, I got the Pan Seared Sea Scallops with Sweet Corn Succotash and Brown Butter Vinaigrette.

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This was another hit. The scallops were fork tender and salty without being "fishy," and the brown butter vinaigrette added a very mild sweetness to it. I also really loved the succotash, it added a brightness to the plate that I wasn't expecting to enjoy so much -- a little bit of succotash and a little bit of scallop on one bite was just a dream come true.

Then it was time for our entrees, which Doug presented to us. Everyone at the table got the same thing, which was the 10 oz filet, and he insisted we cut into it while he was still at the table to ensure it was cooked the way we liked it.

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Absolutely no notes here. The outer char was just perfect, and the inside was mostly red, lending itself to a steak that truly "cut like butter." I've never had such a tender, luscious steak before, and it was just perfect with the Béarnaise!

The star of the show tonight, however, was the Macaroni and Cheese: Cavatappi Pasta, Smoked Gouda & Cheddar Cheese Sauce with Toasted Bread Crumbs.

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From the description and perhaps the picture alone, you would think, "this can't be that special." Oh no, friends. This is the bar for macaroni and cheese. The perfectly al dente cavatappi pasta had the most wonderful chew to it, and the fact that it's a spiral pasta with grooves to it made it perfect for locking in all of that rich, wet-but-not-soupy cheese sauce that was bursting with gouda and cheddar goodness. If there ever comes a day in my life where I have to stop visiting WDW, and I get one last meal at one last restaurant on property: this macaroni and cheese will be the last thing I eat.

Simply divine.

Unfortunately, all good things come to an end, but ours ended on a high note: with the Chocolate Souffle.

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This was not the best part of the meal, but still very, very good. From my understanding, this is cooked with Grand Marnier, which shines through with a strong orange flavor. If I had to make this choice over again, I probably would have sprung for the Apple Tart that my parents ordered -- it was like the best home-made apple crumble you could ever make.

I was also offered a very, very sweet birthday treat This was just a little bit of chocolate mousse -- very rich but so chocolatey and delicious!

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Final thoughts: Disney does a lot of boasting about their in-house operated "Signature" dining experiences. This is a true Signature dining experience, and a steakhouse worth the $400 bill for four people. This is not just where you'll receive some of the best food on property, this is where you'll receive elevated service that sticks with you for a while. Really, the only comparison I have for Shula's on Disney property is California Grill, and this was miles better than California Grill (though we did love our server when we ate there). Other than the obvious Victoria & Alberts, I don't think Disney really has an option for fine dining that matches the level of service and quality of food at Shula's... I dream of coming back here one day, and if you really want a special meal, I can't recommend it enough.

After paying our bill and shaking Doug's hand with plenty of compliments for his service and for the food, we ordered another Minnie Van back to the Poly, where we rolled into bed.

From coffee with Walt to champagne from my coworkers, it was truly the best birthday ever.

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[Paulaparm]

Sounds like you had a wonderful birthday!!

 

[ExpeditionEmily]

I'm pretty solidly a loyalist with Steakhouse 71 these days, but this review of Shula's is seriously convincing me to pick this as our date night spot for our summer 2025 trip. Sounds like an amazing birthday!!

 

[smilie]

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You look gorgeous!!!