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

[jabead]

#4 nicole0992





Nicole's lovely daughter, Rayna, at 'Ohana breakfast with her favorite character Stitch




Nicole & Rayna were at Disney World from 7/16 - 7/23 and they scored 200 points with the many updates Nicole sent us during their trip.



Here are some of my favorite pictures from their updates:


She said, "We have arrived safely after flying the red eye from CA. First stop for us was..."


Boulangerie Patisserie


"My daughter chose correctly and had the always delicious ham cheese croissant..."





"We also split a Napoleon..."





"It was okay. I love the pastry cream but the topping is not good. Very soggy yet too crispy at the same time. Miss the old version."




Liberty Inn






Tutto Italia


"For dessert I chose the Lemon Ricotta Cheesecake with marinated strawberries..."







"My daughter had her favorite Tiramisu..."



"She thinks this is the best one she's ever had."





nicole said, "My daughter loves the crepes in France. She chose a strawberry crepe."



"Look at that face. Not happy having her pic taken."




Akershus Royal Banquet Hall


"We started with the cold buffet of meats, cheeses, salads, breads, fruit and Norwegian offerings."











"I had the Roasted Chicken and subbed roasted potatoes in place of the risotto."





"This chicken was excellent. Very moist and flavorful."


"My daughter had the meatballs with mashed potatoes."





"She loved them."



'OHANA













"Stitch loved her shirt. He came back to her four times. He was perfect. Rayna was in heaven!"












"My daughter wanted to have a chocolate/vanilla swirl ice cream cone from the crepe/ice cream stand in France. This ice cream is so smooth and creamy. The best soft serve I've ever tasted. The cone was fabulous as well. We want to try the new ice cream shop in France but the line has been out the door."








VIA NAPOLI




"My daughter had the chicken parm. Sorry she was hungry and started cutting and messed up her plate before I took a pic."





"I had the candele. I love this dish here and it was great as always."




Backlot Express

"We split an order of the buffalo chicken nuggets and the strawberry cream cheese cupcake."




"The chicken was so good and really hit the spot."






"The cupcake was as yummy as it looks. I find that isn't always the case with Disney cupcakes."




Garden Grill


"I ordered the adult platter without the fish this night."




"The adult platter was great. The filet was so tender. The veggies were crisp and perfect. I also loved the bread pudding that accompanied the turkey. Only disappointment was the turkey. It was kinda dry."




"My daughter asked if they could bring her the kids platter."





"Kids platter was okay. My daughter took one taste of the chicken leg
and passed on it. She loved the Mac and cheese and broccoli. The sweet potato fries were amazing. It was the only thing we asked for more of!"



​

 

[jabead]

#3 DonaldDoleWhip








DonaldDoleWhip was at Disney World from 7/3 - 7/7 and scored 244 points with the many updates he sent us during his trip.



Here are some of my favorite pictures from his updates:








"My first plate had smoked salmon with accompaniments (capers, onion, and a lemon wedge), hard boiled eggs, tomato gratin, watermelon, grapefruit, and the egg white dish. For me, this was an absolutely perfect breakfast. The fruit tasted fresh, the salmon was excellent with the briny capers, and I enjoyed the garlicky flavor of the egg whites."




Contemporary CL Lounge



He said, "Here are the Atrium Club breakfast offerings:"
















Croissants (regular and multigrain)







Cereal






Steel-Cut Oatmeal






Oatmeal toppings, including dried pineapple, banana chips, and brown sugar



"Before heading off to my morning destination, I prepared a bowl of oatmeal and fruit plate for my mom."











"I enjoyed some strawberries, grapes, and a multigrain croissant. The croissant was interesting - it had a slight crunch and nutty flavor."












"My mom got an entrée she's had before - the Mediterranean Tuna Salad. This was actually the highlight of our lunch here two years ago, but unfortunately it disappointed her this time. She felt that the greens were "drenched" in dressing. I had some and agreed."












"A look at the restaurant."








"Our first bite was an amuse bouche containing phyllo dough, pear-cranberry chutney, and bleu cheese. Very flavorful."



"For her entrée, my mom chose the Maize-Crusted Monkfish with Vegetables of the Moment and Tomato-Butter Sauce."



"I've always wanted to try monkfish, but I didn't think I'd have room for a full entrée. My mom let me try it, and it was fantastic. The tomato-butter sauce lived up to its name (it's so rich and buttery), but the fish was the star here. The veggies and watercress garnish further elevated the dish."




"My main course was the Crab Salad "Ghana-style"with Avocado, Hot and Sweet Peppers, Red Watercress, and Groundnuts."



"Again, I loved it. The crab was fresh, the avocado had a warm cinnamon flavor, and the peppers and watercress added unique pops of heat and bitterness."







"Cupcakes (PB&J and Red Velvet)"











"Bonus pic from Blizzard Beach - I've got my eye on that gator..."




​

 

[jabead]

#2 AlohaAnnie




Aaron, Tina, Shawn, and Allison


Tina & family were at Disney World from 6/15 - 6/28 and scored 317 points with the many updates she sent us during his trip.



Here are some of my favorite pictures from her updates:


Wolfgang Puck Express




Belgian Waffle served with seasonal fresh fruit and whipped cream



And bonus pic of two kids that look like they are very happy to be at Disney World. ...














"We had 2 vanilla cake pops covered with chocolate, one red velvet cake pop covered in chocolate and a Mickey head brownie."



Second visit...

















Boulangerie Patisserie




Citron Tarte - lemon cream topped with meringue











"Frozen cokes to fight the heat and humidity."




Plaza Restaurant




Plaza Club - Smoked Ham, Turkey, Bacon, Lettuce, Tomato and Mayonnaise layered on Sourdough Bread




Kids Cookies and Milk





Banana Split



Via Napoli



Mezzo Metro Pepperoni Pizza




Tortuga Tavern


Shawn had his nachos with both cheese and ground beef...







Aaron also had the beef and cheese nachos...







But Tina had a Taco Salad...






'OHANA



Pork Dumplings with Sweet-n-Sour Sauce & Honey-Coriander Chicken Wings






Noodles, tossed in a Teriyaki Sauce & Stir-fried Vegetables





'Ohana Bread Pudding a la mode topped with Caramel Sauce and Bananas




Next stop, dessert from France's...











Then on to Morocco's...

Tangierine Cafe




Vegetable Platter - Falafel, Tangierine couscous salad, hummus, tabouleh, lentil salad and marinated olives







"We rode Big Thunder one more time before we left.​

​

 

[jabead]

Our Top Scorer in the June/July Game and winner of a (no expense) paid trip to Disney World is...


#1 SwirlyGirly




"The kids took a Minnie Mouse pic of me."



SwirlyGirly and her pretty daughters, Anna and Ellie, were at US from 7/7 - 7/10 and then Disney World from 7/11 - 7/21 and did live reporting from both. During their trip, SwirlyGirly scored 344 points with the many updates she sent us.


Here are some of my favorite pictures from her updates:


Captain Cook's


"First up, kids' refreshments..."









"One Dole Whip and one Popsicle."


And from the...


Barefoot Bar



"A Mai Tai for mom!'




Tambu Lounge


"We ordered the honey-coriander wings and the Spicy wings..."










"I usually like spicy food, but these were at my limit. My 8yo, however, loved them!"





"And of course we had drinks!"


"Ellie had a glowing Shirley Temple..."





"Anna took a glowing strawberry lemonade..."







"And I had the Lapu Lapu..."









50's Prime Time Cafe


"Ellie got the kids meatloaf, which is really just a giant meatball..."




"She ate it up!"




"And ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, this is the moment I have been waiting for since last July...Gluten Free Fried Chicken!!!!!!!!!!"










"Anna and I split it and it was still huge!"




Polynesian CL Lounge






Pita bread with sun-dried tomato hummus





Fruit and Caramel dipping sauce





Selection of cheeses and fruit





Mini corn dogs




Artist Point




Looks like SwirlyGirly got a Mickey straw!



"Anna and I split the filet..."



Grilled Center-cut Filet Mignon with Celeriac Creamed Spinach, Roasted Roots, Cabernet Glaze, and Smokey Blue Crumb

"Pleased that the portions arrived already split. This was the perfect amount of food for us."



"Boring Ellie went with the Kids' Pasta..."



"She ate every bite and finished up my steak too."


And for dessert...



"Anna chose the Baked Alaska. She had to eat it alone because I'm allergic to the hazelnut bottom. She was very happy to chow it down singular."





"And of course, Ellie had the Tofutti!"




Coral Reef


She said, "I've read so many bad reviews, I was afraid to try it. But the kids really wanted to see the fish tanks, so we went."







"We split the Mahi Mahi with coconut lime sauce."



Grilled Mahi Mahi with Laughing Bird Shrimp, Hearts of Palm, Jasmine Rice, Cilantro, and a Coconut-Lime Sauce

"This was also fresh and light. The sauce was so good!"




"Boring Ellie went with the Kids meaty macaroni. Again."





"We were very happy with our meal and would return."
​

 

[cdtommie]

It was discovered they are still available at La Cava de Tequila and you can get one at San Angel but not at La Hacienda de San Angel.

I'm pretty sure Hacienda has never offered the avocado, only available at Cava and San Angel.

 

[jabead]

I'm pretty sure Hacienda has never offered the avocado, only available at Cava and San Angel.

Not true, photos taken during my visit to La Hacienda in March 2013.

ETA: Sadly, it wasn't very good though, mostly ice.

 

[jabead]

Now getting back to our regularly scheduled programming here on the Disney Food Porn channel.

Picking up where we left off with Jeanette (JintyB) & her pirate crew, here's is her late-night update from Thursday, the 22nd.


Jeanette said, "Thursday night we popped to the Magic Kingdom to do a few rides and watch Wishes."





"We grabbed a late snack at..."








"Hot dog meal...






with candy floss!"


"And then we caught the boat home, but only after the captain had warned the other passengers to keep an eye on us pirates!" ​

3 August Game Points Earned + 3 Bonus Points for sign/menu and misc. pic

 

[auntfrannie]

The reporters for the past several months have really raised the bar on points! Everyone's doing such a great job...especially Barb for all the work she's does on maintaining the thread. Congratulations!!

I truly appreciate the efforts that everyone makes to give us a Disney fix when they're on vacation.

 

[jabead]

One more update from Jeanette, this one from Friday, the 23rd.


She said, "Lunch was at...





"Very dark menu!"









"Now, my DH and I have polar opposite impressions of this meal/restaurant. I have a mushroom allergy, I've only had it for two years and I love and miss them. Unfortunately this menu has them in so many dishes. The chef did not come to talk to me (every other restaurant they have) and the server said he would pass on the info. He also refused to change any dishes - so we were unable to sub different sides."



"My DH had the lobster salad and filet Mignon - everything was great, in fact, the direct quote was, "this is the steak by which all others will be judged"!!




"Le Cellier" Lobster Chopped Salad - Mixed Field Greens, Haricot Verts, Avocado, Tomatoes, and "Lake Meadow" Egg





Le Cellier Mushroom Filet Mignon - 8 oz. Canadian Beef Tenderloin with wild mushroom risotto, pickled pearl onions, white truffle butter sauce



"My DD skipped the appetiser and had the New York strip."



Canadian "AAA" New York Strip with Potato Pave, caramelized onions, and vin rouge reduction

"She didn't touch the potatoes (she wanted to sub for something else and they wouldn't let her) but loved the meat."



"I had the cheddar cheese soup and some of the pretzel bread. This was lovely."





"I also had the pepper crusted sirloin."



Pepper-Crusted Sirloin with Yukon potato rosti, cipollini onions, roasted red pepper, arugula, steak au poivre sauce

"The meat was a little over done, chewy and so salty it was almost inedible - I had to cut the top off to be able to eat any of it."

"I mentioned this to the server and he was dismissive, saying he'd make it up to me with dessert!"







"We had the maple Creme brûlée - it was good but the whipped cream is completely unnecessary."






"So, a future dilemma. DH would return tomorrow for more heavenly, mushroomy steak. I might be saying I can't get a reservation!!" ​

5 August Game Points Earned + 3 Bonus Points for sign and menus

 

[Dreamport]

344 points?! Wow! There is no way we're going to hit that amount. Especially since F&W starts the day after we leave. I have no delusions of winning next month. We won't even try.

Who am I kidding, we're avid video gamers. Competition is in our blood. Now excuse me while I go look for more ADRs thanks to the awesome recap posts.

 

[jabead]

Next in yesterday were a couple of updates from Brenda (emmysmommy), starting with one from their lunch on Thursday at Epcot's...









Brenda said, "Lunch yesterday was at Tokyo Dining where a year ago my first text to you confirmed I was indeed checking off the list of 18 things you gave me to eat and do and thus birthed your great idea of the live dining thread."



"It was hot, it was humid, and we were ready for some AC!"







"Moi with the fancy napkin!"



"Regular lunch menu:"















"We were hungry so be prepared to see more than one plate of food each!"



"Em started with edamame.."



"It is served chilled and was a great starter!"



"I started with the tempura app but subbed an extra shrimp for the chicken for a couple bucks more."



"Oh my, those shrimp were small. (I suppose that's why they call them shrimp! ) It tasted ok...nothing exceptional."



"For her main, Em had the spicy tuna & salmon crunch roll."



"It was delish!"



"I had the grilled chicken served with beef fried rice and veggies and with a side of teriyaki sauce."



"It was very good!"



"Dessert menu:"




"Em had the green tea soft serve and loved it!"




"I'm glad we tried both Japanese restaurants this trip."​

5 August Game Points Earned + 6 Bonus Points for name/menu pics, pic of Brenda, and misc. pic

 

[roxysmum123]

"Now, my DH and I have polar opposite impressions of this meal/restaurant. I have a mushroom allergy, I've only had it for two years and I love and miss them. Unfortunately this menu has them in so many dishes. The chef did not come to talk to me (every other restaurant they have) and the server said he would pass on the info. He also refused to change any dishes - so we were unable to sub different sides."



"The meat was a little over done, chewy and so salty it was almost inedible - I had to cut the top off to be able to eat any of it."

"I mentioned this to the server and he was dismissive, saying he'd make it up to me with dessert!"

​

[/COLOR]


To me, that's completely unacceptable from a signature restaurant (or any restaurant to be honest). An allergy is a serious concern, and there is no reason why he couldn't have asked the kitchen to sub sides. I'd be talking to guest services personally, but I'm a poop-disturber with things like this.

Glad your DH had a good meal though? I'd probably be telling the same tales of no availability woes too lol.

 

[jabead]

And then Brenda also sent a two-part snack update from Thursday afternoon at Epcot.


Part I was from Norway's...








School bread







"I thought this tasted like an Entemann's cream cheese snack cake. The creamy filling was nice but I found it a bit dry for the cake part."


"Marking that one off my list of snacks to try."



Then for Part II, Brenda finally tried the infamous avocado margarita from Mexico's...










"I may be in the minority but I wasn't a fan. It was too sweet. I guess I need to try a different one."
​

2 August Game Points Earned + 3 Bonus Points for signs and pic of Brenda

 

[jabead]

Next we received an update from Chavaleh from their anniversary dinner on Wednesday night at the Dolphin's...





She said, "Last night was the actual date of our 20th anniversary so we had a nice meal out at Shula's. The service was fantastic."









"The scallop appetizer was perfectly cooked and super delicious."




"Thomas had the salad."




"I also had a pineapple mojito and Thomas had a glass of red wine (no pic)."



"We both had the cowboy steak, grilled asparagus and mashed roasted garlic potatoes."










"I was glad we hadn't ordered the dessert because we were both stuffed."​

5 August Game Points Earned + 2 Bonus Points for sign and Anniversary

 

[cdtommie]

Not true, photos taken during my visit to La Hacienda in March 2013.

ETA: Sadly, it wasn't very good though, mostly ice.

Thanks, the two times we were there it wasn't on the menu but I probably shouldn't have assumed that meant never. Boy, they put way too much ice in this one...a shame given what they charge for this thing.

This is pretty easy to make at home so we've been skipping it the past few trips due to the price - I call it the 2 for 35 margarita!

 

[jabead]

Next in yesterday were several updates from Chavaleh from her day at Magic Kingdom on Thursday, starting with a visit to...










"Breakfast of champions.... a caramel macchiato from Starbucks (destroying Disney Magic since 2013™)."




Next was this lunch update from...




"Tragic news today, we learned that the apple crisp is no more and they have replaced it with a "seasonal cobbler". The lady who delivered the terrible news told us you could get something very similar to the apple crisp but with added caramel from Walmart."






Here's what they had...




Fried Shrimp and French Fries





And French Fries with Fried Shrimp



"We sat in the 'bridge' area and had a lovely view."







Then from...








Sweet & Spicy Chicken Waffle




Last stop in Magic Kingdom was at...
















Then it was back to the Polynesian, where she got an adult beverage from the...









And Chavaleh chose something blue...





​

6 August Game Points Earned + 11 Bonus Points for signs, menus, and misc. pics

 

[jabead]

Next in yesterday were a few more updates from Brenda (emmysmommy), the first one from their dinner on Wednesday night at Magic Kingdom's...






Brenda said, "For the Mark Anthony fans out here, you will have to stay tuned to my DR that will have an appearance by this handsome server! Sadly, no photos on my phone."



"Menu photos:"








"Well that doesn't count! Oops! Menu photo fail!"



"So Em was hungry enough for an entree and chose the shrimp scampi. This was the 2nd time she ordered this entree, so she must be a fan!"




"This photo is post grated cheese. Also note that she requested the "scampi" sauce on the side."



"I went with the Caesar salad that is served with a crostini."




"It was your typical "nothing special" salad with a crostini that shouldn't be confused with a big crouton since croutons are much better!"


"Overall, our meal was good and we'll be back."
​

5 August Game Points Earned + 2 Bonus Points for sign and misc. pic

 

[jabead]

Then a Thursday breakfast update was also sent by Brenda from Magic Kingdom's...











She said, "Breakfast was on the go today since we had an early start. Em went to Gaston's Tavern for a cinnamon roll and some apple slices."










"No brew for Em!"


"Em compared the cinnamon roll to the version she loves at Disneyland and it fell flat. Too little cinnamon taste."




"I went with a healthy option this morning and had oatmeal."





"Ok, it was an oatmeal raisin cookie, but it was so much more tasty than just oatmeal!"


("And oh darn. I ate most of it before I paused to take a photo. Oops! Mostly eaten cookie photo I'm sure everyone wants to see!")

"Btw, this was from the candy/merchandise shop next to Country Bear Jamboree in Frontierland."


"And that was breakfast!" ​

2 August Game Points Earned + 2 Bonus Points for sign and menu pics

 

[jabead]

Next in yesterday were some updates from Gisele (autumnpalm), the first one from their breakfast at Animal Kingdom's...




She said, "After hitting Kilimanjaro Safaris and Expedition Everest this morning, we stopped in Pizzafari for some breakfast."






"DF had the goat cheese and spinach frittata."







"I had the French toast sticks with grapes and applesauce."







Then for their lunch...


"We got Flame Tree BBQ and Pizzafari but carried our Flame Tree food into Pizzafari because it is so hot today!"


"I had the smoked chicken salad."






"We split a side of onion rings. As we carried these across to Pizzafari we had about five people stop and ask where we got them!"





"DF had the hot Italian sandwich with chips from Pizzafari."



​

12 Game Points Earned + 2 Bonus Points for sign and menu pics

 

[jabead]

Oops, duplicate post.