*Bye Bye black out dates & HELLO summer of Disney! EPCOT CARB-A-THON! [12/8/13]

[emmebear]

updated 6/14/13


SPLITSVILLE!

emme & i had a late start this morning. it was really nice to not have an ADR to rush off too. we were staying in LBV & i wanted to stop by guest relations @ downtown disney to upgrade my seasonal pass to an annual pass. i also did not want to shell out another $14 to park so upgraded seemed like the logical thing to do.

we made our way to guest relations & i saw that splitsville was open at 10:30am. emme's never been bowling & i really wanted to try splitsville. this seemed like the perfect time to try as it had just opened & hardly anyone was inside!

the CM was really nice & didn't charge me for emme. it is $20 an hour PER PERSON if they bowl. she only charged me for one & gave me emme's shoes for free. of course i had no socks so i paid $5 for a pair of socks. after paying, we headed to our lane.

we were in lane 3 & there was another family already bowling. our CM came over with menus. we had the option to eat & bowl but that was too much for me to handle at one time. so i decided to bowl & eat after. i entered just emme's name & let her go at it. the CM also showed me the bracket/guide that helps kids bowl. that thing was awesome!

HELLO SPLITSVILLE!

emme and her 6 pound minnie ball.

and this is the guide for the kids:

emme actually did really well using this guide. i would position it for her and her ball would go straight. she rarely used the bumpers. check out her score from her first game. she even got a few spares!

emme really wanted a pink minnie ball & i finally found a mickey pink ball. she was pretty excited for a pink bowling ball.

emme's sausage fingers were so cute.

after bowling 47 minutes, emme lost complete interest & said that she was hungry. i bowled a couple of frames & then we headed to table to eat. we hadn't eaten breakfast yet so this was like our brunch. i was starving!

it was interesting to see that they offered sushi as well:

after looking at the menu, emme decided on a grilled cheese. instead of fries, she got broccoli. she loves broccoli.

unfortunately, she hated the grilled cheese sandwich. i think the texas toast freaked her out. it was a pretty big sandwich for her to eat. she ate most of her broccoli. unfortunately, splitsville doesn't serve mashed potatoes but at least she ate something.



for my lunch, i chose:

Bacon cheeseburger & fries

much to my happiness, the bacon on this burger was not the tragically sad & limpy disney bacon. it wasn't a super thick cut but it wasn't tragically sad & limpy so i was a happy camper.

the CM didn't ask me what temperature i wanted my burger cooked. it was cooked more than i had wanted but it definitely wasn't dry.

i did ask for a side of mayo & tobasco sauce & added it to my burger. i loved the crinkle fries. they were hot & very crispy. emme enjoyed them too. it reminded me of child hood.



for dessert, emme got what else, vanilla ice cream.

there was nothing fancy about the ice cream. just one single scoop but that single scoop brought emme much happiness.


also, splitsville accepts TIW!

overall, we had a total blast at splitsville. it wasn't very busy as we were one of the first guests & i am glad we experienced it. the food was on par with a chili's or an applebees. it wasn't spectacular but it didn't suck. the meal served it's purpose & i got to have some decent bacon. so lunch was a win win for us.

i'm glad i got to try splitsville with emme. she still talks about bowling & how much fun she had. it was a nice break from the park & a great place to spend some quality family time.


here is a video clip of her bowling skills. you have to click the image to see the clip.




as the ball is rolling, you can hear her say, "go ball GO!"



i think splitsville was great to try once but i don't see myself going back there any time soon.

 

[rachel09985]

Great splitsville update!! I definitely want to try a meal there sometime! She is the cutest bowler ever!

 

[buckeev]

"the tilapia was once again my favorite protein. i got 2 servings of it. i almost cringe as i wonder if it's the same tilapia that's swimming in "the land" boat ride."

Not anymore.

I hafta admit, I thought the same thing last time I was there!

Love the TR!...keep it coming!

 

[rustyanchor]

emmebear I have lurked on your posts for awhile and I have to say that I LOVE your trip/dining reports and pics! Yours are definitely some of my favorites to read... and Emme is adorable!

Thanks for the Splitsville review. It is pretty much what I expected (Applebee's style food). If I lived closer I would probably be interested in going, but since it seems to be nothing special I doubt I will ever be wasting any of my valuable Disney trip time there. It already seems like I can never fit in everything I want to do. Looks like you guys had fun though! I do love the Disney bowling balls!

 

[lovesdumbo]

Really enjoying your report! Emme is so adorable!

Our family usually takes one annual trip to WDW and that's more than enough for DH but not for me so I often take my kids one on one with me. The family trips are great but the one on one trips are very special. I was just at WDW with my youngest DD(10), Emma, last month. We too went to Splitsville and had a great time. I haven't gone bowling in about 30 years. Your Emme did much better than I did.

We tried to eat & bowl at the same time. I wouldn't try that again. We're all returning for a family trip in late Aug and I know my older DD(14) & DS(12) will want to try out Splitsville. I'll have to be sure we go before 5 on a weekday so we get the cheaper rate. I'm sure we'll welcome an escape from the August heat.

I have a childhood friend who lives in Jacksonville. She & her DD(13) usually come see us when we go to WDW.

 

[MissPrice]

Great updates! Everything looks yummy, except for the Bahn Mi . I really have to try Garden Grill. -Amanda

 

[lovesdumbo]

Forgot to ask-what lens are you using on your iPhone?

 

[emmebear]

Great splitsville update!! I definitely want to try a meal there sometime! She is the cutest bowler ever!

thanks rachel! i think it's right up corey's alley! [pardon the pun...ha ha!]

"the tilapia was once again my favorite protein. i got 2 servings of it. i almost cringe as i wonder if it's the same tilapia that's swimming in "the land" boat ride."

Not anymore.

I hafta admit, I thought the same thing last time I was there!

Love the TR!...keep it coming!

thank you for reading along!

emmebear I have lurked on your posts for awhile and I have to say that I LOVE your trip/dining reports and pics! Yours are definitely some of my favorites to read... and Emme is adorable!

Thanks for the Splitsville review. It is pretty much what I expected (Applebee's style food). If I lived closer I would probably be interested in going, but since it seems to be nothing special I doubt I will ever be wasting any of my valuable Disney trip time there. It already seems like I can never fit in everything I want to do. Looks like you guys had fun though! I do love the Disney bowling balls!

thank you for all the kind comments & for coming out of lurkdom!

splitsville was a lot of fun. i'm glad we tried it. i may take my cousin (who is in middle school) there in august. i'm not sure yet as we have such a full schedule. it was great to try once.

Really enjoying your report! Emme is so adorable!

Our family usually takes one annual trip to WDW and that's more than enough for DH but not for me so I often take my kids one on one with me. The family trips are great but the one on one trips are very special. I was just at WDW with my youngest DD(10), Emma, last month. We too went to Splitsville and had a great time. I haven't gone bowling in about 30 years. Your Emme did much better than I did.

We tried to eat & bowl at the same time. I wouldn't try that again. We're all returning for a family trip in late Aug and I know my older DD(14) & DS(12) will want to try out Splitsville. I'll have to be sure we go before 5 on a weekday so we get the cheaper rate. I'm sure we'll welcome an escape from the August heat.

I have a childhood friend who lives in Jacksonville. She & her DD(13) usually come see us when we go to WDW.

thank you for the kind comments!

the family next to us was eating & bowling at the same time. it looked like a really big struggle. i don't have the attention span to eat, help emme bowl & make sure emme didn't squash her toes all at the same time. it was so much more relaxing to eat after & just focus on eating as it's such a special time to share with your kid!

what part in jax does your friend live in??

Great updates! Everything looks yummy, except for the Bahn Mi . I really have to try Garden Grill. -Amanda

agreed on both ends! you'll love garden grill. the character interaction is fantastic!

thank you for reading!

Forgot to ask-what lens are you using on your iPhone?

i have the olloclip for my iphone. i barely use it. i tried to use it a bit more during my solo trip this past weekend.

 

[emmebear]

updated 6/21/13



MAGIC KINGDOM DELIGHTS! part 1

this is emme's excited face.



we spent the entire day at magic kingdom. as much as i love MK, it is always so busy. this day was no different. it was packed, it was hot...did i mention it was hot?!

but before i begin, the monorail had monsters university on it. so cute!

and finally, here is my shiny annual pass.

happiness!



emme met some friends at MK:

sorcerer mickey

rapunzel (emme had a picture of rapunzel on her shirt).

emme showing cinderella her new ariel vanity set.

cinderella



after a few hours, emme passed out & all i wanted was a reprieve from the oppressive heat. the sun was showing no mercy & i wanted a nice cold beer & air conditioning. after frantically texting rachel & barb, there was no hope for me as all the places were open for dinner @ 5. it was about 3pm so i decided to make my way to contempo cafe @ the contemporary. i decided to walk instead of taking the monorail. i was a hot sweaty mess by the time i reached the contemporary.



CONTEMPO CAFE


this was my first trip to contempo cafe. the air conditioning was so wonderful. the only bummer was that the elevator to and from the monorail was broken (which was awful since i have a sleeping 3 year old in a jogging stroller).

i really wanted to try the pasta but pasta wasn't served until dinner service.

you order your food @ contempo through a touch screen. after you place your order, you pay for your meal & handed a pager & a receipt...to which after your pager buzzes, you retrieve your food.


here is my lunch:

nothing is more refreshing than an cold miller light on a summer day (very classy, i know). i only wish the beer was colder....ice cold.

Chicken Artichoke Flatbread

i was pleasantly surprised with the flatbread. there were really nice size chunks of breast meat which weren't dry. i was disappointed in the artichoke as it was a "spinach artichoke" spread. i thought it was going to be chunks of artichoke on top of the flatbread.

nonetheless, i really enjoyed the flatbread. as blasphemous as it sounds, i enjoyed this flatbread more so that the flatbread at california grill. the flatbread wasn't soggy at all. very tasty...especially with my beer & sitting in quiet...while basking in the air conditioning.



emme was still sleeping so i made my way here:

to indulge in another tasty adult refreshment:

Grey Goose Vodka + soda water + splash of cranberry & lime



emme wakes up (just in time as a very unhappy toddler & her very flustered parents arrived & my zen moment disappeared) & she tells me that she wants a yogurt.

this is what $2.50 will buy you at disney.



after a few more hours, it was approaching dusk at fantasyland:

we were both hungry, so i decided to try another new place:

this was our dinner:

Kids macaroni & cheese w/ 2 sides: sliced applies & yogurt + low fat milk

Lobster roll w/ chips

i think the kids meal was a total bargain. that was a lot of food for $5.99. emme didn't finish her macaroni & cheese so i didn't want to waste the food & finished it for her.

i've read some pretty bad reviews about the lobster roll. it's nowhere near the deliciousness of linda's maine lobster roll during F&W fest but it wasn't terrible either. i hated the bread it was served on...it's the same bread that Casey's uses for their basic hot dog meal. i thought it was decent. i added a little bit more salt & pepper to the roll. i liked the crunchiness of the celery...i wished there were more chunks of lobster but there was definitely lobster in the roll...and not just small pieces of it either.

emme testing out her new ariel vanity set.

pretty empty for dinner. we arrived about 20 minutes before closing & it cleared out quick.

 

[emmebear]

MAGIC KINGDOM DELIGHTS! part 2

afterwards, we made our way to fantasyland (again) & rode this:

good bye in korean!

that face!



then we saw wishes:

never gets old.

i get teary eyed watching wishes with emme sometimes. lame, i know.

and no one was having more fun that emme was at this moment:

emme wanted to show ariel her new ariel vanity set. they had an awesome time with it together.

we stayed until MK closed:

beautiful castle.



we had am absolute blast at MK. we rode ariel's ride SIX times. all with FP. yeah...that's insane.

up next, breakfast @ chef mickey's!

 

[Couchy]

love your reviews...

 

[rustyanchor]

The pics of Emme showing the vanity set to Cinderella & Ariel are SO CUTE! Love sweet candid photos like that much better than the standard princess shots.

I was curious about the lobster roll at CHH too but I have read a lot of bad reviews. And it looks a little too mayonnaise-y (and I LOVE mayo!). So... I don't know about that. I want to eat there sometime though.

 

[buckeev]

Good grief!!! Emmett is a DOLL! The carousel pic is stuff that promo material should be made from! No way a kid look ANY happier!

 

[honeybunches]

I thought the same thing about the fish at GG!!! LOL

 

[BlovesC]

Your photos are all so gorgeous, especially those dusk fantasyland shots! The $2.50 yogurt is enough to make me cry though. You can get 5 for that price outside of Disney!

Also, I haaaaaaaaate the new APs! I can't get used to the fact that it's plastic and I've almost thrown it out like 8 times, forgetting what it is!

 

[emmebear]

love your reviews...

thank you so much!

looking forward to your live updates!

The pics of Emme showing the vanity set to Cinderella & Ariel are SO CUTE! Love sweet candid photos like that much better than the standard princess shots.

I was curious about the lobster roll at CHH too but I have read a lot of bad reviews. And it looks a little too mayonnaise-y (and I LOVE mayo!). So... I don't know about that. I want to eat there sometime though.

she still plays with that vanity set. that vanity set makes an appearance at chef mickey's too.

in actuality, it wasn't very mayonnaise-y. it appeared that way but it was really thin. i think the water from the celery loosens it up too.

Good grief!!! Emmett is a DOLL! The carousel pic is stuff that promo material should be made from! No way a kid look ANY happier!

thank you so much!! she quite possibly is the happiest kid ever whenever she's at disney.

I thought the same thing about the fish at GG!!! LOL

i'm glad i'm not the only one!!

Your photos are all so gorgeous, especially those dusk fantasyland shots! The $2.50 yogurt is enough to make me cry though. You can get 5 for that price outside of Disney!

Also, I haaaaaaaaate the new APs! I can't get used to the fact that it's plastic and I've almost thrown it out like 8 times, forgetting what it is!

thank you!

the price of the yogurt is obscene. i had no idea that yogurt was offered as a side with kids meal until this trip. unfortunately, yogurt is a food group that emme lives on while at disney. she's such a picky eater...not really picky...we mainly eat korean food at home.

i love my AP pass! i actually keep it in my old passholder "wallet" thingy they gave with my last AP...it's a sleeve (i think that's what you call it) & just slide it in with my TIW card. i'm glad you haven't thrown it away!



here are some pictures of emme on the teacups. it's one of her favorite rides. this time, i spinned us really fast. i normally don't because it gives me a headache but i think the sun made me delirious. we were spinning really really fast.

best time EVAR!

FUUUUUUUN is her middle name.

and this was emme today as we watched monsters university together!

and for lunch, she used her chopsticks. i was so proud!

 

[DonaldDoleWhip]

Agreed that all the pics are awesome, and Emme looks like she's loving the Mad Tea Party! That's still my favorite ride in Fantasyland.

Also, I saw Monsters University today - twice. But our movie theater didn't have those cool photo ops!

 

[rustyanchor]

Our theater didn't have the Monsters U photo op, either! Cute! I loved the movie.

 

[emmebear]

Agreed that all the pics are awesome, and Emme looks like she's loving the Mad Tea Party! That's still my favorite ride in Fantasyland.

Also, I saw Monsters University today - twice. But our movie theater didn't have those cool photo ops!

twice in one day....WOW!! that's dedication!

i so want to make it out to disneyland some time in the near and/or distant future. your review makes my desire all the more greater.

she loves those tea cups so much!

Our theater didn't have the Monsters U photo op, either! Cute! I loved the movie.

movie was very fun but i think a bit too long for emme's attention span. she started to get stir crazy at the one hour mark. she even got hushed by a dad who had 3 kids with him. pretty rude especially when emme was being really quiet & it was a kids movie & the entire theater was full of kids screaming & crying.

someone held emme up for me so she could get her id picture taken. i thought that was nice.




here are some photos of emme i took this morning before she went to church:

 

[January2007]

Thanks for reporting, hope you continue enjoying your summer of no black out dates!