Coming to you Live from Disney World!-Take 2 AUG/SEPT WINNERS ANNOUNCED

[emmysmommy]

Hi Barb! I just spent the last hour and half reading through 20 pages of updates! Oh my, there's some great updates that were sent recently. (And I have plenty of time to read updates since I'm essentially immobile after seeing first hand how gravity works when I busted my ankle yesterday!)

Loved Ellen's Walk in Walt's Footsteps update since that is so cool! Love the reserved section. (I fell in love with the macaroon cookie when we took that tour a couple months ago!)

Thanks for your tireless work on this thread Barb!!

 

[Marblies]

S


"For dessert DH and I each had the peach cobbler."

They took out the apple cobbler thing they have always had.

DS got a lemon slushie for dessert."[/COLOR]

12 September Game Points Earned ​

I am disappointed about the apple cobbler, hoping it makes a reappearance as the choc cake is hardly worth eating and available at QS all over.

I do like the idea of the slushie for desser, never knew that was an option at CHH.​

 

[jabead]

(And I have plenty of time to read updates since I'm essentially immobile after seeing first hand how gravity works when I busted my ankle yesterday!)

OMG!!! So sorry to hear that Brenda. You must promise me to take very good care of it so it is all healed and working perfectly by December. September looks to be a great month here on the live thread plus you have your own reports to write and Vicki's report to read. So there should be lots here to keep you occupied and off your feet.

 

[jabead]

Ok, first up this morning are the remaining updates sent to us on Sunday.


First we have an update from emmebear, which was actually part of her previous update from their Saturday afternoon at World Showcase. We discovered that several of her photos from their visit to France didn't ever come through to me, despite the fact that her iPhone said they were successfully delivered. So I guess they are sitting somewhere on an iCloud???


emmebear resent the missing photos (by email this time ), so here is...

France - Part II


She said, ""Despite being somewhat full from breakfast at Akershus...after drinking 2 beers, I was slightly munchy...so what better place to munch than Boulangerie?!"




"Emme and I lucked out and had an uneven table that took 4 sugar packets to level out but I was just happy to be in air conditioning. It was oppressively hot on Saturday. The heat was suffocating and you could definitely smell rain in the air. Needless to say, I was very happy to be inside."







Here's what they chose...







"I ordered the ham & cheese croissant."



"It was totally decadent & everything I should not be eating but I could not resist. It's such an amazing sandwich. The croissant is so buttery & flaky and the cheese is so ooey & gooey. The ham is just an added bonus!"




"I also had a mimosa because I figured I needed the vitamin C at this point. The mimosa is such a steal at $7."






"I also ordered my very first creme brulee at Disney."






"I'm not much of a sweets eater but creme brulee's aren't very sweet. This one was really scrumptious. The custard was velvety and very smooth. I loved the crunch of the crystallized sugar on top. I couldn't finish it but I will definitely return for another."




"Of course Emme wanted bread."












"She lives off of bread, yogurt, mashed potatoes, fruit, broccoli & alfredo pasta (if i'm lucky) while at Disney. She had 1.5 baguettes and she even spread butter on them. We don't use or eat much butter in my house so it's shocking she even likes it....but she does."







And while in France, Emme got to spend a little time with...


​

3 August Game Points Earned + 5 Bonus Points for sign, menu, pics of emmebear & Emme and pic with Belle

 

[jabead]

emmebear sent one more update to us on Sunday, this one from their Saturday night dinner at the Grand Floridian's...





She said, "I wanted to give this place another try, as Emme was sick on our last visit and was miserable. Plus it was part of my completion of the princess trifecta this trip."



"We just were seated and the characters were already making their rounds."













"Finally had a small window so I made a mad dash to the buffet."




First seafood pot: "One puny snow crab leg per bowl. BOO!"





"Spicy tuna roll was delicious and I loved it."






emmebear's 1st Plate: "The potstickers were really tasty and the spicy Durban chicken wasn't spicy but had great flavor. I was a fan!"



"So what did Emme eat for $16?"




"No surprise here."



"I ordered the skinny coconut mojito."



"It was really gross. I hate complaining but this drink was so gross. Yucky!"



"Instead I got the..."



Habanero Jalapeno Margarita





"Yummy drink!"



Then some more character action...




"Prince Charming and his epic toupee."














"Using Emme's new vanity set."



Look, all pretty now!?!?...





Then some more food...




"My second seafood pot...






and third!"






"My second plate. The tabbouleh salad was really fresh tasting! And more spicy Durban chicken."





emmebear's third plate: "The tagine meat wasn't very good. Neither was the Marsala chicken."






Emme's second plate




And then last but not least, a...




Birthday Cupcake...





...for the Birthday Girl!!!" ​

5 September Game Points Earned + 4 Bonus Points for sign, pics of emmebear & Emme, and character pics

 

[jabead]

To finish out our Sunday updates, we now have three updates from Disneyland sent to us by Ellen (podsnel).


The first one is from their dinner on Friday, Aug. 22nd at Downtown Disney's...

Catal Restaurant










"We had a 6pm ADR at Catal (are they called ADRs there? I made it through Open Table, I think). Anyway, the food here was our favorite as a family- so inventive and fresh! And creative! Loved Catal, we would always eat here!"



"We sat outside while we dined, that is a pic of our view of DTD."





"I started with a cocktail, the Paloma."







"It was delivered BEFORE our food, in case anyone was wondering - so already we were doing better than the night before.



"I started with the sashimi - it was DIVINE."




Sashimi of Hokkaido Scallops with pineapple and aji-amarillo pepper sauce, cucumber sorbet



"Pods tried the Heirloom tomatoes (the balsamic pearls were SO COOL!)."



Heirloom Tomatoes with virgin oil, white balsamic 'caviar', sea salt, white anchovy, crostini



"Timmy had the Medjool dates (which were good, he said, but very sweet)."




Bacon Wrapped Medjool Dates with sweetened Pedro Ximenez vinegar reduction




"And Tyler surprised everyone and ordered the octopus!!"



Spanish Octopus with white beans, fennel, pickled peppers, gem lettuce, cherry tomatoes, aji panca puree, and garlic migas


"When it came, he was so surprised..."



"He figured it was going to be fried, like Calamari. It was really delicious- and i have to say, both times we had octopus in DL it was REALLY tender and yummy. They definitely know what they are doing out there with that dish!"




"Next a pic of our wonderful server - doesn't he look like Chris O'Donnell? He is holding up our wine choice, a bottle of Sophia Rose - it was lovely."





"Dinner was excellent as well. I had the spaghettini pasta, I loved the brown butter/squash combo."



Spaghettini Pasta apple wood bacon, peas, roasted squash, Parmesan-Sage brown butter




"Pods ordered Skuna Bay Salmon,..."



Skuna Bay Salmon with cauliflower ‘cous cous’, preserved lemon, and eggplant escabeche



Tyler the ribs,..."



Baby Back Ribs ‘satay style’ spicy sweet peanut BBQ sauce




And Tim had Hanger Steak, prepared plain."





"ALL were FABULOUS! We had no room for dessert, though, sorry! Chris o'Donnell gave us a discount on our tab - if we would have had our WDW AP with us, he could have even used that, fyi, since this is owned by Patina, I believe. We did get a DVC discount though. Actually, MOST restaurants gave us a DVC discount on our food purchases - very different from WDW. We really enjoyed this meal - HIGHLY recommend Catal!"


Last, a great pic of Ellen & Pods...


​

3 August Game Points Earned + 7 Bonus Points for name/menu pics, pics of Tyler, Pods & Ellen, and misc. pic

 

[jabead]

Ellen's next Disneyland update is from her breakfast on Saturday morning, Aug. 24th at DCA's...




Ellen said, "On Saturday morning, Tyler hit the park early with me to get FPs for Radiator Springs Racers. We waited in the VERY, VERY, VERY long line for them, then rode twice with NO WAIT AT ALL in the single rider line. They put us in the same car BOTH times! Awesome!"





"Afterwards, he left and went back to bed and I went to breakfast by myself at Flo's. FWIW, THIS was my favorite breakfast of the enti was really entire trip. It was really just so full of flavor."















"I had the chicken tamale..."




Chicken Tamale with Scrambled Eggs, Salsa Verde, and Pico de Gallo


"It was a little spicy, so if you don't like spice, I would avoid this. If you LOVE spicy? They had little bottles of tabasco to make it even hotter (for me it was perfect as is). When I return to DL, this will be one of my MUST do meals."



"You can see how well I cleaned my plate, it MUST have been GREAT."





​

3 August Game Points Earned + 4 Bonus Points for sign, menus, and misc. pics

 

[smile4stamps]

I LOVED Catal when I went for my Birthday dinner in 2011. Its a great restaurant that I think gets overlooked!

 

[jabead]

Ellen sent us one more Disneyland (two-part) update on Sunday, this one from their lunch on Saturday, Aug. 24th at Disneyland's...















Ellen said, "We had lunch at Cafe Orleans on Saturday. We all shared everything, starting with an order of their very good gumbo."



New Orleans Gumbo - A rich, flavorful Stew with Chicken, Andouille Sausage, and Tasso Ham served with Cajun-style "Dirty Rice"




"Then we shared the Pommes frites...



Pommes Frites - Traditional French Fried Potatoes tossed with Parmesan, Garlic, and Parsely served with Cajun Spice Remoulade




...and 2 Monte Cristos."



Monte Cristo Sandwich - Sliced Turkey, Ham, and Swiss fried in a light batter and served with Berry Puree dusted with Powdered Sugar












"Wow, was it all yummo, but I think I have filled my fried food counter for at least another year now!"



"Here's some pics of Cafe Orleans, we ate outside which was really nice."












"Later that afternoon, we were back at Grand California and ordered some nachos from...


Whitewater Snacks




"We had half chicken, half steak. Very good and filling, we did not come close to finishing it and both Pods and I were sharing."


"Still have Sat. night and Sunday-Monday, but we leave for Florida at 3:30 am (and we are flying!!!! Yuck!! That is too early!), so not sure I will be sending the rest today or later. It will be good and worth the wait, I promise- I had lunch on Sunday at Club 33, and it was fantastic!
​

4 August Game Points Earned + 4 Bonus Points for name/menu pic, pic of Tim, and misc. pics

 

[jabead]

Before we begin our updates from yesterday, I first have a "breaking news" update to share with you.


One of our excellent reporters, Crystal Brewer, noticed activity today at Epcot's...





"They said that though it's a Starbucks, it will be a completely different environment than the Main St. Bakery at MK. They are doing some testing today and will be opening tomorrow. I was able to get some pics of the menu but they didn't offer entrance."










Then a little later I received this update from Crystal...



"Umm...SCORE!!! We made it."



"And our picks were..."
























"DH tried his Banana Walnut bread and shared a bite with me. It was VERY fresh and moist."


"DS attempted his Mickey cupcake, but after half he was trying to give it away saying it was too rich. I'm saving my PB brownie for a late night indulge."


"Service ran smoothly for it being a "testing" day."
​

10 September Game Points Earned + 5 Bonus Points for sign, menus, and pics of DH & DS

 

[jabead]

We only received about 10 updates yesterday from our Disney World reporters, so it was a relatively quiet day...well, compared to the last few days anyway.


Our First Update of the Day was sent to us by Nicole (AvasMommy526), who is passing on some photos sent to her from Disney World by her brother and his friend.


First was a snack update from Downtown Disney (I believe this might be from Candy Cauldron???)...
















Next is an update from their dinner at Magic Kingdom's...






"Ryan had the chicken...






...and Staci went with the scallops and shrimp in the puff pastry."






"Then some dessert table side!"















"I know we've seen a ton of updates from there and I've ate there myself but this restaurant is just so beautiful to me and they both loved it. I'm so happy they got to experience it!"



Then some more pics of Magic Kingdom treats...



Goofy apple





Dumbo cupcakes





Mickey ice cream sandwich





"Magic Kingdom Halloween is on! Halloween and Christmas are just so amazing in WDW, I can't wait for next year!!!"

​

5 September Game Points Earned + 4 Bonus Points for name, pic of Ryan & Staci, and First Update of the Day

 

[jabead]

Next in yesterday was an update from a new reporter who had just arrived at WDW, anniebean.


She said, "Drove all last night, checked in at Wilderness Lodge and received a free upgrade. Also got a free park hopper pass because of a computer glitch. Lots of pixie dust floating around today."


anniebean and her DBF (Geoff) then had their first meal at Magic Kingdom's...


Columbia Harbour House



"Lighthouse sandwich for me and chicken nuggets for DBF."





"CHH food was awesome as usual. Sandwich seems much bigger than what I remember. Geoff really enjoyed the seasonal cobbler, which was peach."




"Then we went straight to the Little Mermaid ride and got stuck...but still a cute ride. Here's a pic of us killing time stuck in a clamshell."






Next were a couple of snack updates, the first one from Gaston's Tavern.




"LeFou's Brew. No butterbeer, but still really good."



And from Aloha Isle...



"Dole Whip floats. Yummy!"
​

4 September Game Points Earned + 2 Bonus Points for pic of anniebean & Geoff

 

[jabead]

Then we received autumnpalm's update from their dinner on Sunday night at the Polynesian's...










Salad





Wings & Dumplings





Noodles & Veggies






Bread Pudding
​

2 September Game Points Earned + 1 Bonus Point for sign

 

[emmysmommy]

Oh my goodness! Those pomme frites from Café Orleans are awesome! Glad to see that Ellen shared her dining experience there!

Patty's Cape May Café dinner looks pretty tasty. Thanks goodness Emme wasn't ill this time.

 

[jabead]

Sadly we then received autumnpalm's final meal update from their trip, which was lunch on Monday at the Wilderness Lodge's...















Here's what they had...




"Bottomless" Strawberry Shake




"Mom and I split the turkey sandwich."




1/2 share - House-smoked Turkey Sandwich on toasted Multigrain bread with arugula, Tomato and cranberry mayo. Served with sweet potato fries.



"DF had the quesadilla."



Smoked Chicken Quesadilla with Western Roasted Vegetables, Smoked Cheddar and Mozzarella, Arugula, and a side of Tomato Salsa and Moonshine Mayonnaise​

5 September Game Points Earned + 2 Bonus Points for name/menu pics

 

[jabead]

And since that was autumnpalm's final update, it's now time to say...




Thanks so much for being a Live Reporter...Great Job!!!





autumnpalm's Total Aug./Sept. Game Points Earned = 112
​

 

[jabead]

Next we received some updates from bigdave10000, all of them from the Wilderness Lodge resort.






David said, "Yesterday morning Colleen and I checked out of OKW and checked into the Wilderness Lodge Villas for one night. Our room wasn't ready so we went to the pool bar for a Bloody Mary."










​

1 September Game Point Earned + 2 Bonus Points for sign and misc. pics

 

[jabead]

David's next update was from their lunch at...














"We then went to Roaring Fork and split the roast beef and blue sandwich with the cucumber salad for the side. It was very good."








​

3 September Game Points Earned + 3 Bonus Points for sign and menu pics

 

[jabead]

Then David & Colleen had dinner that night at...


















He said, "We started out with the delicious sourdough bread."





"I had a gin martini and Colleen had a glass of Pinot Grigio."






The menus...









"I had the Salmon...



Wild Columbia River Cedar Plank-roasted King Salmon with Rainbow Cauliflower, Root Spinach, Lemon-Butter Sauce, Applewood Bacon Jam and Short Rib Strudel



...and Colleen had the truffle pasta ribbons with English peas."




Truffle Pasta Ribbons with English Peas - Black and White Truffle, Pea Puree, Wild Mushrooms, Black Figs, Pearl Onions, Fontina Cheese, and Kalamata Olives




"We both loved our meals. I also had a glass of Pinot Noir with the salmon. After dinner Colleen had an Irish coffee, then we called it a night."






"Wonderful meal. Always one of our favorites." ​

5 September Game Points Earned + 5 Bonus Points for sign, menus, and misc. pics

 

[jabead]

Crystal Brewer also sent us an update from their day at Animal Kingdom.


She said, "Today we visited AK and we looooved it!! Thanks to the DIS this first timer felt like a pro.
For breakfast, we shared platters from...


Pizzafari





"My youngest DS claimed the eggs to be as good as mom's yet the sausage...hmmm."





"Then for a snack I enjoyed the Apple Blossom with ice cream...



Note from jabead: I think this might be from Trilo-Bites in Dinoland??? (can anyone confirm?)

"This was a great use of a snack credit!!"


"We also had Flame Tree on our way out, but with an afternoon storm moving over and youngest tired and whiny...no pics. We shared the chicken & ribs platter. They're honestly not our fave yet edible & filled our tummies!"


"Extra pic of a gorilla toting his feeding barrel....it was great to see. Even the CMs were laughing as they haven't ever seen it doing so either."


​

6 September Game Points Earned + 1 Bonus Point for misc. pic