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

[jabead]

Then we received a breakfast update from want2bminnie. This morning she had breakfast at Pop Century's...


Everything Pop





"She said, "I had the Bounty Platter with chocolate chip pancakes. The potato casserole was great, but the pancakes were a little dry."



"I also picked up a chocolate croissant for later."


​

3 September Game Points Earned

 

[jabead]

We also received a breakfast update from seasidespences.


She and her family had breakfast this morning at...






A breakfast toast...











Rice Krispie treat...































"I'm starting to detect a pattern in service at character breakfasts...but oh well...the character interaction was great. Also, any place my kids can get gummy bears and Rice Krispie treats for breakfast is a hit with them!!"
​

5 September Game Points Earned + 1 Bonus Point for name pic

 

[jabead]

Next we received an update from Jenna (DisWishes720), who had dinner last night at AKL's...












"For drinks I started with a Sunriser..."




Sunriser - Parrot Bay rum, Banana liqueur, orange, pineapple and cranberry juices



"We also had our usuals and Holly had a gin martini which she loved!"






"The amuse bouche was focaccia bread with tomatoes and a curry sauce. It was out of this world!"






"The bread was amazing. My favorite was the sweet honey flavored. We ate the whole basket."






"For apps, we had the leb leb flatbread..."




Roxanne's Kitfo Leb Leb Flatbread with beef carpaccio, feta cheese, pistachio-basil pesto, barbere, tomatoes, and rocket


"The carpaccio as excellent. The feta was fresh and the combination of flavors were perfection. We loved this!"



"We also had the wild boar..."



Grilled Wild Boar Tenderloin with Mealie Pap, Chakalaka, White Truffle Oil, and Micro Cilantro


"Although the portion was small, it was full of flavor and absolutely fantastic."



"My brother had the seafood stew..."




Zanzibar Fish Stew with mussels, lobster, market fish, and steamed basmati rice

"He devoured this before anyone could even try it. The broth was amazing! His favorite app of the trip."



"Big T had the South African vetkoek...



Three House-made Naan Pastries filled with Herb-braised Rabbit, Coconut-Egg Curry, and Durban Vegetable Curry

"The puff pastries were amazing! The sauces were perfection."



"For dinner we had the short rib..."




Spicy Botswana-style "Seswaa" Beef Short Rib with Cassava-Potato Puree, Sambal, Mushrooms, and Fava Beans

"No fork needed perfection! The meat as cooked perfectly, the sauces were amazing and the hint of spice as surprising and wonderful. This was the best entree of the trip."



"The men had the filet..."



Oak-grilled Filet Mignon with Local Pole Beans, Spoon Bread, and South African Wine Sauce


"It was tender, cooked to perfection and had unique flavors. Another amazing entree and we a cut above."




"For dessert we had the creme brulee..."




Kenyan Coffee Creme Brulee - Kenyan coffee and Amarula creme brulee, cake koeksisters, and creme anglaise


"This was delicious but has a very strong coffee flavor. The donuts were delicious too!"



"We also shared the cheesecake...



Cheesecake with white chocolate, toasted coconut, mango sauce, and pineapple chili sorbet

"This was amazing and a favorite of ours!"



"We also had the Kit Kat dessert which was out of this world!"



Chocolate and Tea Safari - Vanilla rooibos-Tanzanian chocolate cake, free form "kit kat" and green tea ice cream



"Jiko was amazing. By far the best meal of the trip! It was our first time there and we loved it so much we want to go back tonight." ​

Note from jabead: Since Jenna's group has dined at four signature restaurants in the last four nights (California Grill, Flying Fish Cafe, Citricos, and Jiko), I asked if they would rate their experiences, best to worst.


Here was Jenna's response:


1) Jiko - Far and away the best signature meal of the trip hands down, and with the best wine selection. Everything was perfectly executed with excellent combination of flavors. This was a real treat."


2) California Grill - This meal was also excellent and the only reason it is in 2nd is because it lacked the unique flare that Jiko had. The sushi was very good and the atmosphere as always is excellent.


3) Flying Fish Cafe - This was a close call between Cali Grill and Flying Fish. This meal was fantastic and we had absolutely no complaints. Everything was perfect. The only reason it is one step below Cali Grill is because of the atmosphere.


4) Citricos - A very, very distant 4th. I wouldn't even put this in the same playing field as the others. All around disappointing and nothing special whatsoever. Everything was lacking from the food to the service.


5 September Game Points Earned + 2 Bonus Points for sign and menu pics + 5 Special Bonus Points for an excellent summary of their signature dining experiences

 

[jabead]

Our next update received today was Eric's (VikingInMouseEars) two-part update from Epcot.

First from their lunch at...


Sunshine Seasons




"Pork chop (minus the BBQ sauce) & mashed potatoes and a piece of the infamous strawberry shortcake for dessert. Everything was great."



Then later he sent this cold beverage snack update...





"Hot day, frozen Coke, under the monorail." ​

3 September Game Points Earned + 1 Bonus Point for pic of Eric

 

[jabead]

Then switching over to DHS for a cold beverage snack update from want2bminnie.















"Went to Writer's Stop for an iced latte and took some pics..."






​

1 September Game Point Earned + 3 Bonus Points for sign, menu, and display case pics

 

[jabead]

Next we're off to Downtown Disney for seasidespences' snack update from...


Goofy's Candy Co.



She said, "Today we went to Downtown Disney and made our own snacks...these were so good."

















"DD had marshmallows...






... while DS and I both chose rice krispy treats."






"I only tried my own (rice krispy dipped in white chocolate, Oreo cookie crumbles then drizzled with more white chocolate) and it was AWESOME!"




seasidespences with her treat


"The kids enjoyed theirs as well...an excellent use of a snack credit, we will definitely come back here also if we have any snack credits left at the end of our trip!" ​

1 September Game Point Earned + 2 Bonus Points for pic of seasidespences and misc. pics

 

[jabead]

Then Jenna (DisWishes720) sent us an update from their lunch today at Animal Kingdom's QS restaurant...






She said, "We shared the chicken fried rice..."





"It was pretty good, nothing special."




"Then we headed back to the Jambo House pool (at AKL) and Big T surprised me with these..."









"Zebra domes! So amazing!" ​

4 September Game Points Earned + 1 Bonus Point for name

 

[jabead]

Then Jenna sent us a second update from AKL's Concierge Lounge, the...


Kilimanjaro Club



"Here are some pics of today's evening offerings..."





















"Everything is really yummy. We are full already!"
​

5 September Game Points Earned

 

[jabead]

Then tonight we received the first update from a new reporter who arrived at Disney World today, disneydivamama.


She said, "Hello! We are here at the Wilderness Lodge. Going to send you some pictures from dinner tonight at...


Whispering Canyon



"On this trip is myself, DH, and DD. We are not on the dining plan. Of note, DH has a gluten allergy, so I will mention that throughout. The first picture is the skillet..."



"DH got this. He could have everything in it but the fish (must have been marinated in soy sauce)."



"He was brought out gluten free corn bread beforehand and loved it."



"It was gone in about 5 minutes!"




"I got the starter salad--mixed greens, apples, toasted pecan, and blue cheese--the blue cheese was added later."






"And the chicken quesadilla...."




"This was delicious!"




"And DD had the first bowl of Mac and cheese for the week."

​

5 September Game Points Earned + 1 Bonus Point for pic of DD

 

[jabead]

seasidespences sent us an update from their dinner tonight at...


















Unfortunately I didn't receive the text part of this update, only the photos. So I'm going to do my best to identify their food choices. If I'm wrong though, I'm hoping that seasidespences will jump in and correct me.



Looks like they started with a glass of wine and a cocktail...





Next is the bread service...







For appetizers, the kids had fresh fruit...






While their parents had the Cheese Plate...










...and the Oysters.



Fire-roasted Oysters on the Half Shell with Lemon, Butter, House-made Hot Sauce, Horseradish and Smoked Tatsoi





For their entrees, the kids had the chicken...






...and the steak.




Both of these served with ancient grains and vegetables.


It looks like seasidespences chose the short rib...






...and her DH went with the filet.








Then for their desserts, the kids had Safari S'mores...






...while their parents had the NSA Cinnamon-Chocolate Flourless Cake (maybe???)






And also the Cheesecake.



​

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

 

[jabead]

Good morning everyone! I have one more update to post from yesterday, this one from Eric (VikingInMouseEars).


He and Luanne had dinner last night at the Yacht Club's...














Here's what they had...




"Bread service with the incredible onion pull apart rolls."






"Creamed spinach, Luanne loves this."






"Truffled mac and cheese. This was good, close second to the lobster mac and cheese from the other night."




"Luanne had the rack of lamb..."



"You also see two popovers. We live in Colorado and due to the altitude, popovers are rare. Since Luanne loves them she asked for one, and upon hearing her tale of woe, the waitress brought two."



"I had the bone-in ribeye, but I subbed for mashed potatoes."














"Luanne had the chocolate peanut cake...







...and I had the sorbet trio."





"Luanne's birthday was a couple of weeks ago, so she is celebrating and this was a plate of mini desserts they brought us..."






"Everything was great. Yachtsman is another place we have never had a bad meal."




Then a little later Eric added this snack update...





"A few things I picked up in the UK at Epcot." ​

6 September Game Points Earned + 3 Bonus Points for sign, dessert menu, and misc. pics

 

[jabead]

We have already received our first two updates of the day and they came in at approximately the same time this morning, one by text and the other by email. Therefore they will both be awarded a FUOTD point.


And so our (first) First Update of the Day was sent to us by a new reporter who arrived at Disney World yesterday, buzz1121 (DeeDee).


She said, "Hi Barb! We are here and are ready to start reporting! Amazingly,if we stick to our ADRs we will dine at 6 restaurants that are new to us. We are here celebrating our tenth anniversary at the Yacht Club with only the baby as a tag along. Our first meal, dinner last night, was at..."






















"Be Our Guest is new to us, but since so many people have posted about this restaurant I'll keep my comments brief. We started with the bread service."






"DH chose the braised pork..."




"He subbed the gratin macaroni for the cauliflower puree and his seasonal vegetables were brussel sprouts. He enjoyed the dish."




"I chose the thyme scented pork chop with gratin macaroni and subbed broccoli for the seasonal vegetables."




"The pork chop was well seasoned and the broccoli was very good. I did think the gratin macaroni was a little underwhelming. I prefer a more robust cheese flavor in my mac and cheese and this version was creamy but to me it lacked a little in overall flavor."









"For dessert, we received a sample of the grey stuff."




"I didn't really detect any real discernible flavor, but it as nice to be able to try it."



"DH picked The Grey Stuff brownie dessert...






...and I chose the strawberry cream cheese cupcake."




"We split them. The Grey Stuff brownie was a little dry. The cupcake was the hands down winner. It was light, moist,and had a great strawberry flavor."




"Overall we enjoyed BOG. I don't know that the meal is a must do for me, but I do think the ambiance is a must see, at least once. There are so many neat details. I can't wait for the older kids to get to try this in December. Today will feature breakfast at Kouzzina, lunch at Nine Dragons, and dinner at Tutto Italia. I'm sure we will have a few snacks as well."​

2 September Game Points Earned + 5 Bonus Points for sign, menus, misc. pics, and First Update of the Day

 

[jabead]

Our other First Update of the Day is a Disney-related surprise update sent to us from the UK by chocolateminnie.


She and her family treated themselves to a little taste of Disney by visiting London's version of...






Here's what they had...




Chicken Caesar Wrap with Grilled Chicken, Field Greens & Romaine, Parmesan Cheese, Fresh Croutons & Classic Caesar Dressing



An inside look...







Limited Edition Chipotle Chicken Avocado Sandwich with grilled chicken strips, savory chipotle sauce, and avocado with cheddar cheese, bacon, and leaf lettuce






The Italian Sandwich with Salami, Capicola, Ham, Mortadella, Zesty Italian Dressing, Mozzarella






Earl's Club Sandwich with Roasted Turkey, Smoked Bacon, & Lettuce (minus the cheese and tomato, I think?)​

2 September Game Points Earned + 2 Bonus Points for name and First Update of the Day



Note from jabead: I had no idea that they had an EOS in London, so I did a little online research (using that totally reliable source, Wikipedia ). Apparently the London location opened in 2011, so relatively recently. But I learned that EOS' ties to the UK go much farther back than that.

Here is an excerpt from that Wikipedia article:

"Earl of Sandwich is the brainchild of Orlando Montagu, who is the younger brother of Luke Timothy Charles Montagu, Viscount Hinchingbrooke heir to the title of Earl of Sandwich. He and his father are direct descendants of the 4th Earl of Sandwich, who popularized the sandwich in Great Britain in the 18th century.

The first restaurant was opened on March 19, 2004, located in Downtown Disney on the property of the Walt Disney World Resort outside of Orlando, Florida. Earl of Sandwich has franchising plans in the United States and the United Kingdom."


The article goes on to list the current EOS locations. There are 21 stores here in the states (unfortunately none in my home state of Illinois though ), including the Newark, Philadelphia, Boston, and Detroit airports. (Two of these I have been to and "fast-food" dined at, so I'm very sad to hear that I could have had a taste of Disney during those airport visits instead of a taste of McDonald's. ) But I digress...anyway, EOS currently has two International locations (assuming this article is up to date). Besides the London store opened in April 2011, they have since also opened a store at Disneyland Paris.


And that concludes my lesson on Earl of Sandwich.

 

[Dreamport]

Just a reminder that next up to the Disney Dining Plate is...​

Dreamport

HAVE A GREAT TRIP, Dreamport!!! ​

Thanks Barb!! We kind of burned breakfast so Kit (DSis) and I are completely looking forward to some delicious Disney goodies!! Only one dining reservation (Crystal Palace for breakfast seems popular), but we're going to have fun seeing if we can do walk-ups at other places and maybe snack around the World Showcase. Someone earlier just made it look so fun!

 

[jabead]

We've also already received an two-part update from ness0905 this morning.


Yesterday she and her DH were at Magic Kingdom and dined at...










Here's what they had...







But they went across to the other side of Main Street for dessert at...










A close-up view...

​

4 September Game Points Earned + 3 Bonus Points for signs and menu pics

 

[vettegirl]

I eat at EOS in San Antonio all the time, I am lucky to have 2 in my city.

 

[jabead]

I eat at EOS in San Antonio all the time, I am lucky to have 2 in my city.

The Wikipedia article actually said there were 3 in San Antonio. If that's correct then I think you are the only city that is lucky enough to have 3 EOS stores. So I'd say you are very lucky, Lori.


Oh, and plus the fact that you will be at Disney World this week. Yep, very lucky, very lucky indeed.

 

[jabead]

Next in today from want2bminnie was our third update (since it reopened on Sept. 9th) from...


California Grill








A pic of Chef Brian at work...







And here is what she had...




Cucumber Fizz - Hendrick's Gin, Limoncello, Cucumber Water, and a splash of Sprite


"This drink was so delicious and refreshing."






Twisted Mai Tai - Mount Gay Rum, Creme de Noyaux, Orange Juice, Pineapple Juice and a splash of Lime


"Very good."




"Bread service with two different kinds of bread, both good."






For their appetizers, goat cheese ravioli...



Sonoma Goat Cheese Ravioli with Sun-dried Tomatoes, Pesto, Shiitake Mushrooms, and Basil

"Amazing."



...and the new meatball appetizer."





"A little spicy. I wouldn't get them again, they were dry."




And for her main course...




Oak-Fired Filet of Beef with Heirloom Tomato Risotto, Baby Vine Tomatoes, Petite Basil, Tomato Butter


"The filet was out of this world. We sat right by the open kitchen and I swear I saw 100 of these coming out of the kitchen. The sauce on top was incredible."




"For dessert I had the seasonal tasting..."




Seasonal Tasting: Heirloom Apple - Apple Cupcake with Cream Cheese and Streusel, Warm-spiced Cider, Peanut Butter Caramel Apple, and Apple Cheddar Turnover with Compote and Cardamom Glaze


"It was very pretty. I liked it."




And last a pic of the fireworks from the observation deck...





"I just wanted to say the service was great. Charmaine was our server and she was awesome. A very nice experience. I am going back in February."
​

10 September Game Points Earned + 2 Bonus Points for misc. pics

 

[lisatav]

Gray Stuff brownie! First the cupcake and now the brownie! I think disney is listening to people. The idea of getting The Gray Stuff at lunch is great, and now you can get even more at dinner! Very exciting! Looks awesome!!!

 

[seasidespences]

seasidespences sent us an update from their dinner tonight at...

http://s1078.photobucket.com/user/b...2b1023e7-cb47-4ac4-81df-09c9e24dd357.jpg.html

http://s1078.photobucket.com/user/barbj85/media/DIS/DIS2/null_zps9328cfd5.jpg.html

http://s1078.photobucket.com/user/barbj85/media/DIS/DIS2/null_zpse94cabfa.jpg.html

http://s1078.photobucket.com/user/barbj85/media/DIS/DIS2/null_zps9281fea7.jpg.html

Unfortunately I didn't receive the text part of this update, only the photos. So I'm going to do my best to identify their food choices. If I'm wrong though, I'm hoping that seasidespences will jump in and correct me.

Looks like they started with a glass of wine and a cocktail...

http://s1078.photobucket.com/user/b...40352777-5461-4550-aaeb-406bbdfdae3c.jpg.html

Next is the bread service...

http://s1078.photobucket.com/user/b...5d7e3e4a-5ba9-4bb0-a099-9ccee800a1a6.jpg.html

For appetizers, the kids had fresh fruit...

http://s1078.photobucket.com/user/barbj85/media/DIS/DIS2/null_zps71b54fb6.jpg.html

While their parents had the Cheese Plate...

http://s1078.photobucket.com/user/barbj85/media/DIS/DIS2/null_zpsc26bd99d.jpg.html

http://s1078.photobucket.com/user/b...73893f06-8a41-4bfe-8b0f-ba9e368eea3e.jpg.html

...and the Oysters.

http://s1078.photobucket.com/user/barbj85/media/DIS/DIS2/null_zps718b6ae8.jpg.html

Fire-roasted Oysters on the Half Shell with Lemon, Butter, House-made Hot Sauce, Horseradish and Smoked Tatsoi


For their entrees, the kids had the chicken...

http://s1078.photobucket.com/user/b...14764a13-f7b5-4d1b-a569-7375fe847705.jpg.html

...and the steak.

http://s1078.photobucket.com/user/b...0324409a-2a90-473f-8de0-1902055588ab.jpg.html

Both of these served with ancient grains and vegetables.

It looks like seasidespences chose the short rib...

http://s1078.photobucket.com/user/b...fd557830-5695-4f04-8e29-832299939ca7.jpg.html

...and her DH went with the filet.

http://s1078.photobucket.com/user/barbj85/media/DIS/DIS2/null_zpscabfd600.jpg.html

Then for their desserts, the kids had Safari S'mores...

http://s1078.photobucket.com/user/barbj85/media/DIS/DIS2/null_zpsae8bd25b.jpg.html

...while their parents had the NSA Cinnamon-Chocolate Flourless Cake (maybe???)

http://s1078.photobucket.com/user/barbj85/media/DIS/DIS2/null_zpsb3c0e2dc.jpg.html

And also the Cheesecake.

http://s1078.photobucket.com/user/barbj85/media/DIS/DIS2/null_zpsc96ea857.jpg.html


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

You nailed the descriptions...sorry my text portion didn't come through!