Our next two-part update in this morning was also sent to us by DeeDee (buzz1121).
"We were Disney tired yesterday morning, so we just grabbed breakfast bars in our room for breakfast. For lunch we went to France's...
"We had ham and cheese croissants. DH had a chocolate eclair and I had a chocolate chip cookie."
"The ham and cheese croissants were great as always. DH said his eclair was very good and my chocolate chip cookie was soft and full of chocolate chips."
"Later we grabbed a snack of caramel popcorn and dark chocolate caramel covered pineapple from..."
Karamell Kuche
"The popcorn was okay, it is a heightened taste experience when the caramel popcorn is warm. This bag was not as fresh. The dark chocolate caramel covered pineapple on the other hand, was delicious. The pineapple itself was ripe and sweet. The dark chocolate and and caramel added a good taste balance with the pineapple. This was a great snack on a muggy afternoon in WS. Up next, dinner tonight at California Grill."
4 September Game Points Earned + 1 Bonus Point for sign
One more update from DeeDee, this one from their dinner last night at...
She said, "Last night, DH, the baby, and I dined at the recently renovated California Grill. So far the reviews have been a bit of a mixed bag, but I have always found it best to form my own opinion. California Grill has always been one of my favorite signatures, in fact usually vying for the top spot in any given trip are California Grill and Jiko. The staff who man the check-in desk were very enthusiastic about the new California Grill. Our elevator hostess was just bubbling over with excitement. We arrived a few minutes before the start of Wishes, so we had about a 15 minute wait on our table. We were seated in the wine room, a first for us. The wine room was a nice setting with fewer tables and far less noise than the main dining area."
"The bread service consisted of whole wheat sourdough rolls and lavender infused focaccia bread with a soft butter."
"I liked the almost nutty flavor of the whole wheat rolls."
"DH and I split what was described to us as one of the chef's favorite new appetizers, the Oven Dried Tomato Flat bread."
"This was a great starter choice. The tomatoes had a roasted taste, with a flavor enhancing slight char around the edges. The cheese was creamy and complimented the roasted tomatoes very well. The balsamic added another layer of subtle flavor."
"DH selected the Oak fired Filet of Beef as his entree."
Oak-fired Filet of Beef with Heirloom Tomato Risotto, Marinted Baby Vine Tomatoes, Petite Basil, Tomato Butter
"I asked DH specifically about the tomato risotto and whether there was a strong tomato flavor. DH felt the tomato flavor was subtle and was a slight enhancement to the stronger basic risotto taste. He felt the different flavor elements tied together well. He was more than pleased with the dish. He felt his steak was cooked perfectly and there was not a speck of food left on his plate."
"Back before the renovations I always wanted to order the pork entree with the tenderloin and goat cheese polenta but the siren call of the filet always lured me away. Since we were posting this in the thread, I had the necessary motivation to make a break and select this as my entree. The tenderloin and goat cheese polenta was also served with a lacquered pork belly atop a roasted apple slice with applesauce. This was a modest sized entree, and with the appetizer flatbread, it was the perfect size for me to eat and not feel so stuffed that I no longer had room for dessert. I enjoyed the tenderloin medallions and goat cheese polenta very much. I love pungent cheeses and the pork and polenta worked so well together. The lacquered pork belly was a little interesting, taste wise it was good, but most of the piece I had was fatty. I think this is probably too be expected. The applesauce accompanying it was fairly spicy, the roasted apple slice was perfect as it was still a little crunchy. Overall this was a great fall dish. It's going to be hard for me not to order this dish again."
"For dessert DH and I selected the Warm Homemade Fritters and the Seasonal Tasting."
"The Warm Homemade Fritters were referred to by several members of the waitstaff as similar to doughnut holes. They were served with three sauces, a chocolate, a peanut butter, and a caramel sauce. The fritters were filled with bananas and while I understand the doughnut comparison based on the outer appearance, the inside was more dense and gooey than a doughnut due to the real pieces of cooked banana. I really enjoyed the fritters and my favorite dipping sauce was the caramel, followed by the peanut butter, and then the chocolate."
"Our seasonal tasting was missing the Apple cupcake as the kitchen had run out. We were subbed two apple cinnamon creme brulees instead. The warm cider was served with a rock candy stick for stirring and sweetening. The apple almond tart was very good."
"To me the standouts of the dessert tasting was the apple cider and apple cinnamon brulee. The brulee just hit the apple cinnamon flavor perfectly and the apple cider was fantastic."
"We had an outstanding meal at California Grill. It is very much worth a visit in my opinion and we will be returning during the holiday season."
10 September Game Points Earned + 2 Bonus Points for name and dessert menu pic
Then for dinner last night Lori & Peter dined at...
"We were seated on time in the ballroom..."
Here's what they had...
"Kronenbourg Blanc, great floral blend."
"I had the French onion soup..."
"It was great for a light appetite like mine."
"Hubby had the lamb...
Herb-crusted Lamb Rack with a Stone-ground Mustard Demi-glace serve with Buttered Celery Root and Seasonal Vegetables
"It was cooked just like ordered medium, as if you don't ask they bring it out rare, yuck." However it was delicious."
"No dessert but they looked lovely. It was a nice meal, but the tables are too close together, and we weren't wowed by the place. Next time we will do lunch."
2 September Game Points Earned + 3 Bonus Points for name and misc. pics
This morning we also received the final updates from MRYPPNS.
Her first snack update was from Animal Kingdom's...
Kusafiri Coffee Shop & Bakery
African Spice Cake
"This is the new spice cake from the bakery in Africa. I loved it. If you like spice cake or coffee cake, I think you would enjoy it too."
Then next from Magic Kingdom's...
Gaston's Tavern
"Apple slices, LeFou's Brew in the Belle cup, and a cinnamon bun the size of my daughter's head. The cinnamon bun was by far the best cinnamon bun I have EVER had at Disney."
"This is the mug that is available at all 4 parks for $5 and your choice of soda. There is also a Halloween themed popcorn bucket everywhere."
"The Mickey hitchhiking ghost bucket is only available during MNSSHP."
2 September Game Points Earned + 1 Bonus Point for mug pics
We also received the final update from seasidespences this morning.
She said, "Well Barb...our trip is over and we're back home. However, before we left we had 38 snack credits to spend! So...despite being packed up and ready to go we made some critical stops at Goofy's Candy Co. and the Boardwalk Bakery."
"Then we hit up the bakery to finish up those credits...since the sticky bun and apple tarts were so good we had to go back! We ended up with 6 sticky buns, 5 apple tarts, and 5 jersey crumb cakes!"
"Last night I gave most of the baked goods to our family who live close by so they wouldn't go to waste and this morning I just finished half of an apple tart and half of a crumb cake...Mmm, the breakfast of champions!!"
Next in this morning was this snack update from Dreamport.
She said, "Here is the rest of the World Showcase "trip" from last night. After the bite in England, we ventured over the channel for dessert at the wonderful..."
"The entrees looked scrumptious but I was so full."
"Kit chose the Cafe something , not as strong a taste as I thought but Kit wanted a more chocolate flavor."
"I had the chocolate tart..."
"Insanely rich, even too much for me. I'd definitely try to split with someone who has a lighter snack like we did in February."
"There was caramel inside, which did help but those first few bites were heavy. I'd get the mousse next time, or my strawberry tart."
1 September Game Point Earned + 2 Bonus Points for sign and display case pic
One more update and then it's time for me to call it a night.
MichelleWDWfan & her DS had breakfast this morning at Animal Kingdom's...
"Tusker House is one of our favorite breakfasts at WDW. The food is delicious, and there is a nice variety of pastries, fresh fruit, hot and cold cereal, eggs, waffles and so much more! The coffee is good and we love the juice! It is a nice character meal."
3 September Game Points Earned + 2 Bonus Points for sign and misc. pic
Next we received want2bminnie's final update of her trip.
She said, "Finally, it was time to head home. So I stopped for some snacks at AoA's...
Landscape of Flavors
Here is what she chose for her snack...
Mini cupcakes
"I also had the chicken burger (ground chicken burger topped with queso fresco and black bean relish) but I forgot to take a pic! It was so delicious though!"
2 September Game Points Earned + 4 Bonus Points for menu pics
Next we received a couple of updates from Riles_and_Gabe, starting with one from their lunch yesterday at Magic Kingdom's...
She said, "We had a successful first full day. We spent most of our day in the Magic Kingdom. I had originally thought I would get breakfast while in the park but we couldn't tear ourselves away from the rides long enough to find something. We ended up having an early lunch instead."
"I had all sorts of grand ideas how we were going to go to a resort on the monorail and eat at one of their food courts but when it came down to it, we didn't want to leave the park. I went to my tried and true Columbia Harbour House. It was delicious as always."
"I went with the Anchor Aweigh Sandwich with chips. I chose a diet coke and peach cobbler to go with it."
"I loved the sandwich. The tuna was made perfect for my taste with the perfect amount of mayo. I could definitely taste onion in it and it was great. I especially like the bread they serve it on. The chips were ok but since I had so much food I didn't mind not eating them."
"I also thought the peach cobbler was the perfect combination of sweet and tart. It was still warm by the time I got to it which was a nice surprise. I also liked how the restaurant gave me a large soda cup of water when I asked for a cup of ice water. I was able to take that with us afterwards and enjoy it throughout the park."
"Gabrian went with the chicken nuggets. He had grapes, yogurt, and chocolate milk with it."
"He thought it was great and ate all of it."
"I thought it was a very successful meal!"
2 September Game Points Earned + 4 Bonus Points for sign, menus, and pic of Gabrian
Riles_and_Gabe also sent us a two-part snack update from Magic Kingdom yesterday, starting with a frozen beverage snack from Tomorrowland's ...
The Lunching Pad
"We enjoyed two snacks today at the park. The first was at the Lunching Pad for a frozen raspberry drink."
"It was really hot out at that point and this really hit the spot."
"The second was from the Plaza Ice Cream Parlor on our way out of the park today."
"We shared the All-American Sundae..."
Old-Fashioned Vanilla and Chocolate Ice Cream with Hot Fudge, Peanut Butter Drizzle, Whipped Cream, and a Cherry
"It was delicious but just a little too much chocolate for me. I wish it had been all vanilla ice cream and all peanut butter sauce instead of the hot fudge sauce."
"Both of our snacks were delicious and we would definitely get them again. I have included a bonus pic of the treat waiting for us when we got back to the room today."
2 September Game Points Earned + 7 Bonus Points for sign, menus, pic of Gabrian, and misc. pics
However it was delicious."
However, before we left we had 38 snack credits to spend! So...despite being packed up and ready to go we made some critical stops at Goofy's Candy Co. and the Boardwalk Bakery."
, not as strong a taste as I thought but Kit wanted a more chocolate flavor."
