Dining for our Unexpected Trip...July 27, 2019 through August 4, 2019

The Mara

We just love Animal Kingdom Lodge. We did not have any dining planned here this time around though so we figured what better a time to go than now! Tyler's first line of business was food, of course! So we headed down to The Mara.

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Cary had run to the bathroom, that was actually locked! Apparently here, you have to be staying here to use the bathroom now...LOL! Luckily someone was walking in and he was able to follow. So the kids and I had gone into the huge seating area of The Mara and found a table. There were people there but it was not crowded. When Cary got back he and the kids went up to see what to get. I wasn't really hungry so told them to just get a few snacky things and we'd all share. They decided and came back with a tray and a light up pager.

For drinks they got a Mango Slushy that is not on the menu I am seeing and a Gold Peak Tea
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The slushy was pretty good without too much Mango flavor (mango is one of those flavors that I do not like too strong). Skyler is on a tea kick lately and enjoyed the tea.

She also grabbed a pack of
Zebra Domes

Chocolate Mousse baked with Amarula Cream Liquor-coated White Chocolate drizzled with Chocolate Stripes and Chocolate Shavings

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These are one of those things that seem to be loved by most. I like them but I don't LOVE them. But either i have not had them in a while or they have changed something because I thought they were better than usual. I had most of these. Skye tried one and thought it was ok but did not meed more. Tyler was waiting on his food so he was not interested and Cary was not wanting sweets right now???

She also grabbed a Minnie Cupcake....that I am not seeing listed on the menu.

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It was ok...super cute though with the pearls and jimmies inside. The frosting was super sweet though so we did not even eat all of it, and usually Skye would leave cake before frosting!

Shortly after they sat down Tylers buzzer buzzed and he went to get his
Pepperoni Flatbread

Freshly prepared Flatbread topped with Pepperoni, Tomato Sauce and Mozzarella

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It was similar to the other flatbread we have had in The World. He loved it. Cary had some and enjoyed it too.

Gosh we wish we could spend the money to stay here again, it has just gotten SO expensive I am not able to justify it if we're just going to be there to sleep and shower. Maybe someday we'll slow down a bit.

Anyway, we had a great snack. It was fun to visit a counter service we have not had in a long time. We have been to the Lodge for Boma and Jiko but not just to bum around. SO we would return if the opportunity presented itself.

It was 6:45pm so even being dinner time it was not bad crowd wise. Our total was $30.30.

OOP TOTAL $418.69

DDDP TOTAL $0.00
OVERALL TOTAL $418.69
 
Joining in!

I tried the pretzel from BBWolfs on our trip last December, and it was delicious! I just wasn’t hungry enough to try the hot dogs, but they all looked great!

For drinks they got a Mango Slushy that is not on the menu I am seeing and a Gold Peak Tea.

I wonder if that was a Jungle Juice slushy? I had one from The Mara in May, it was amazing!
 
Joining in!

I tried the pretzel from BBWolfs on our trip last December, and it was delicious! I just wasn’t hungry enough to try the hot dogs, but they all looked great!



I wonder if that was a Jungle Juice slushy? I had one from The Mara in May, it was amazing!

You know...maybe you're right! They told me Mango but they're not all that observant and don't pay much attention to details sometimes...so It just might have been...and yes, it was really good!
 


Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater

We arrived right at 11am and went to check in. They handed up a buzzer and said it would be a few minutes. We walked outside for this...

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...and our buzzed buzzed. We were led in by our waiter to a four seater car. I don't think I even knew they had four seaters...we've always has a six seater with hitch-hikers in the back! Our waiter was Khalid and he was really good...kinda like a grandpa.

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We were planning on using three credits here but we were not that hungry right now so we only ended up using two.

The kids ordered the
Milk Shakes

Oreo Cookie, Chocolate, or Vanilla

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Tyler had the vanilla and Skye had the cookies and cream milkshake. I had a water and Cary had a coke. THe shakes were thick and the kids both loved them.

In general, Skye does not usually get an entree here. She likes the buffalo wings though so that is what she usually gets as her meal....and she did again. Tyler wanted them too and there was not anything speaking to Cary and me so we ordered two order of the
Crispy Chicken Tenders

Your choice of Spicy Buffalo, Chipotle BBQ, or Szechuan Sauce served with Celery Sticks and Blue Cheese Dressing

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With buffalo sauce on both. These used to be little nugget sized balls of chicken...this time they were huge tenders. Skye had one more than Tyler and hers were considerably larger than his. They both loved them and ate most of them. I had one and it was good. I think Skye actually even left part of one because she was too full to eat them all and no one else had room either.

Cary and I shared the
Sci-Fi Barbecue Platter

Smoked Pulled Pork, St. Louis-style Ribs, Grilled Chicken, and Sausage served with Jalapeño-Cheddar Cornbread, Southern Coleslaw, and Cowboy Beans finished with Coca-Cola® Barbecue Sauce


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Now, I wasn't sure if I would end up thrilled with this or not. I mean I like barbecue but depending on how it's cooked could make or break it for me. Well, we both loved it and it was plenty of food for both of us. I had the chicken and it was super moist and flavorful. Cary loved the ribs. I thought they had too much sauce on them but once i was able to get rid of some of that they were fall off the bone tender and tasted so good! I loved the cornbread...I did not taste any jalapeno and it was not hot at all. I don't do coleslaw but Cary said it was ok. The sausage was good. Cary loved the beans but I thought they were ok but they were too sweet for me. The favorite of both of us was the pulled pork. It was very well seasoned, not fatty, and super tender. It would have made a great sandwich but it was wonderful on it's own. We were very happy with our choice and very glad we did not order another credit worth becasue this was a ton of food!

Tyler ordered the
Flame-broiled New York Strip Steak

Seasonal Vegetables, Roasted Potatoes, and Bacon Vinaigrette topped with Herb Butter


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None of us had paid attention when he ordered so he forgot to ask to sub fries. So he caught Khalid shortly after he ordered and asked if he could sub fries for the potatoes and Khalid said it was no problem, he'd change it on the order. Well, when it came out, well, you can see it came with the potatoes and asparagus. He reminded him about it and he returned quickly with a plate of fries.

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So this worked out well because as much as Tyler does not like potatoes and asparagus, Skyler does! So nothing went to waste. The potatoes were really well cooked...not hard but not mushy and seasoned well. The asparagus was typical Disney asparagus...very good! Skye was good with her tenders, potatoes, and asparagus. Tyler actually thought the strip was really good and practically licked the plate! The fries were typical fries and just what he wanted. No one ate the tomatoes because Tyler doesn't do tomatoes at all and Skye does not like them cooked...and I was full!

We were able to take our time and relax while eating. It was filling up while we were eating though.


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When it came time to order dessert we decided on two but we were really full!

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We ordered
Warm Glazed Doughnut

with Cinnamon Apples and topped with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream and Caramel Sauce

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YUM!!! I don;t know what else to say. Everything was right with this! It was a fresh glazed doughnut, certainly did not taste like a pre-frozen dessert. Everything went perfectly together! I ate most of this.

The kids had the
House-made Sci-Fi Candy Bar

Cookies and Cream Mousse, Chocolate Ganache, Chocolate Sauce

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I think Tyler has ordered this every time we have been here. It is really chocolaty and would be great with some ice cold milk or a scoop of ice cream.

Khalid was awesome, probably the best we've had here (they usually are careless as soon as they find out you are on the dining plan). He not only did not have an issue with us being on the dining plan but even after he found out we were only using two credits for the four of us, his care of us did not change. He refilled our waters and coke quickly. He did not charge us for the coke (we expected to be playing for it as an extra drink). He did not charge for the extra fries Tyler got. He talked to us about the doughnut dessert and how he has used it in a peach version for Thanksgiving dinner at home.


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We were there until around 12:30pm and it was just us taking our time. We were not rushed out and we did not wait for anything. We like it here. Would we lose sleep if we did not eat here? No...but We do enjoy it so I am sure we'll be back. Our total here was $125.98...or 2 deluxe dining credits!


OOP TOTAL $418.69

DDDP TOTAL $125.98
OVERALL TOTAL $544.67
 
Trolly Car Cafe

On the way Skyler remembered she had not had Starbucks today so we stopped at the Trolly Car Cafe at about 3:45pm. The line was not bad, remarkably!

We did not get any pastries or food type things but I did take some pictures of the offerings.

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Cary ordered the
Caramel Frappuccino® - Venti

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Skyler ordered the
Strawberry Crème Frappuccino® - Venti

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Tyler ordered the
Vanilla Bean Crème Frappuccino® - Venti

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Service was pretty quick and we were outta there in no time. They do have paper straws so we grabbed a few and went on our way. They were all good and Skye was impressed with the amount of strawberries in hers. A lot of times it a gamble if you will actually be able to see strawberries or not. The cost was $18.72 or three snack credits.

OOP TOTAL $418.69

DDDP TOTAL $144.70
OVERALL TOTAL $563.39
DDDP Credits used = 2
Snack Credits used = 3
 
Cape May Cafe

So we journeyed into The Yacht Club and made our way around to The Beach Club. The kids and I stayed at Yacht Club for two night once a long time ago. We got a great room on ground level facing the water and Epcot. We loved it...not as much or in the same way as we love Animal Kingdom Lodge but a lot! We have also eaten at Captain's Grill (now Ale & Compass), Yachtsman Steakhouse and Cape May Cafe for various meals. So we explored our way around towards our dinner ADR.

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We were a little early so we sat in the lobby and played Uno. We found this funny...

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...I assume he was on his way to The Neverland Club or something like that. We played a couple of hands.

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Until our buzzer buzzed.

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We were seated in the first section by the buffet along the left as you walk in. Our waitress was Jan M. and she was an older lady that was friendly and an ok waitress but she seemed to be overwhelmed. She took our drink orders and we headed up to the buffet.

For a drink i ordered the
Piña Colava

Bacardi Raspberry Rum blended with flavors of Coconut, Pineapple, and Raspberry Purée

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I have had these before so I knew I would like it. We are not big drinkers and don't have any advanced knowledge of drinks but this is a good basic smoothly style drink that goes down super easily.

Cary began his Mai Tai spree and had the
Captain's Mai Tai

Captain Morgan Original Spiced Rum, Bols Amaretto, and Tropical Juices topped with a float of Myers’s Original Dark Rum

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Like I said, this started his quest for Mai Tais of different varieties...who knew? He liked that is was fruity and not overpoweringly alcohol tasting. She also brought us waters. The kids had their usual.

I did not take pictures of the buffet as there was already quite a bit of people around and I did not want to get in the way but I do have pictures of some of our plates. The buffet is set up as a big square and starts with salads and goes around clockwise to the main courses. They have all sorts of food from salads to veggies to soups to seafood to pastas to a carving station and a kids section. The desserts are on two little side bars on either side of the entrance (which is kind of weird but at least it's out of the big line so if all you are getting is dessert you don't have to fight your way through the big line.

The waitress brought us a couple of empty metal buckets and crab leg eating utensils and some HOT towels...caution, they are really HOT! SO here we go...

Tyler's first plate...

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Kid's Cheese pizza, spaghetti and meatballs and a roll.

Skye's first plate...

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Kid's cheese Pizza, buttered bread, and plain spaghetti noodles. They were both pleased with their choices.

My first plate...

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Crab legs, corn bread, broccoli, mashed potatoes and gravy, boiled potatoes, a cup of butter and corn on the cob. It was all good. The corn bread and boiled potatoes with the butter on them were my favorites on this plate. The crab legs were great but there is so much work in eating snow crab for such little reward!

I also had a bowl of Clam Chowder...

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...and it was not something I finished or would grab again...it was very flavorless and was mostly potatoes, which usually is not a problem for me. I would probably say this was the worst thing i tasted all meal.

Skyler's second plate...

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Mac & Cheese (which needed salt badly!), fish nuggets, beef from the carving station (but i don't remember what it was), and a baked chicken leg. She enjoyed it all! The beef was her favorite though and the fish niggets her least favorite (not that she did not like them though!).

I don't know why I don't have Cary's first plate but he went back for more peel and eat shrimp at one point...

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He really enjoyed these this time!

We had a few more plates and a huge plate of crab legs among us...like a tower of legs! We sat there a long time digging out meat and seeing who could pull the biggest chunk of meat out in one piece before heading to the dessert tables. I think we tried just about everything they had for dessert...

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So from the bottom left...white cake with caramel sauce (there was three different kinds of cake squares with two different sauces to put on them), lemon custard pie, Oreo bonbon, fruit tart (my favorite!), lemon raspberry custard thing, worms in dirt (Skye re-confirmed that she DOES NOT like dirty worms!), mickey head thing (??), chocolate cupcake with raspberry frosting, and white cake with lemon frosting. The kids tasted all of them but I do not know what the verdict was. The lemon raspberry custard was super sour and no one liked that. The mickey head thing was almost like fudge, I know Tyler liked that one. The rest were just ok. We were there a while digging in our crab legs and relaxing. We did not see Jan too often but she was around. Cary did get a coke after he finished his drink. We never needed plates removed for very long or refills.

All in all we like Cape May for breakfast and dinner but we kinda found on this trip that we (especially Skyler) just does not eat enough to justify the price if we were paying out of pocket. I mean, ya, we get to try a lot of things rather than having to choose one thing but I think the quality of what you get for the cost at an a la carte meal is better than a buffet so it is more worth it. We will be back if it fits in but I think we will be avoiding buffet style meals in the future (especially for dinner). Our total was $246.82.

OOP TOTAL $418.69

DDDP TOTAL $391.52
OVERALL TOTAL $810.21
DDDP Credits used = 6
Snack Credits used = 3
 


Crystal Palace

We headed over to check in at Crystal Palace. Our ADR was at 8:05am and they had not started seating anyone yet and it looked like there was a lot of people there waiting before us so we expected to wait a bit.

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But at 8am the wait staff came out and greeted us all and they began calling names...we were the second ones called! Crystal Palace first thing in the morning it awesome! We were brought in and were seated next to the window along the porch.


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Karen W was our waitress. On the way in we recognized Vincent who has been our waiter before and was awesome...Karen was ok. She came and took our drink orders...OJ for me and Tyler, apple juice for Skye and Coke for Cary...and she told us we had a little bit of time to grab food before characters started coming around. So we did.

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This was my first plate...banana, oatmeal with brown sugar and raisins (I love Disney oatmeal!), bacon, steak fajita skillet, plain scrambles egg, puffed french toast, sausage, hash-brown casserole, breakfast pizza, potatoes, Italian sausage with onions and peppers. It was all really good, and obviously fresh!

The first plate Tyler grabbed...

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A large helping of scrambled eggs, Mickey Waffles, bacon and looks like a croissant (?).

Skyler's first plate...

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Mickey Waffles (of course), bacon, croissant, and a carrot cake muffin.

Soon, Piglet came around!

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Piglet loved his page and they "talked" about it a while. He was really in no rush to move on even though we are all basically "adultish"...Tyler felt a little left out though since Piglet mostly "talked" to Skyler....LOL!

Then Cary was able to get his food...

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Mandarin Oranges, Strawberry sauce, hash-brown casserole, biscuit, bacon, scrambled eggs, potatoes. He liked it all.

Then came the long awaited Eeyore. We usually have to wait forever for him to bring up the last of them when we eat here bit we were happy to see him arrive second! He also loved his page...I imaging Eeyore doesn't get a lot of love!

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We all had more plates of more food and mostly the things we liked from our first plates but the only other plate I took a picture of was mine...

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Cheese Danish, french toast bread pudding, fruit, chocolate croissant, and a fruit salad. It was all good and fresh...exactly what you want breakfast to be. There are a lot to choose from. There are two sides to this restaurant so there are two identical sides on the buffet line...with dessert type things in the center. When we arrived it was easy moving through the buffet but it was a bit busier by the time we were leaving.

Pooh was next (you can see it was still pretty empty in there)...

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After Pooh we were waiting for one more guy to come along...he was a little behind the group!

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You can see it is now filling up. Karen kept our drinks filled and our plates cleared but that's about it. She was not very talkative or involved...but that's ok with us!

Finally Tigger came around.

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Overall, we love breakfast at Crystal Palace. The food is always plenty and fresh. There is a lot that we all can enjoy! The characters were very fun and "talkative" this time around and were not in a hurry to leave. The wait staff seems really good at recognizing the kind of service you want and provide it. It is busy in there once they get going but it seems they always have plenty out of everything. As early as we were there we did see multiple trays being exchanged out even if not empty. We always have early ADRs here so I am not sure if they are always so quick to seat, I mean, there is only so much they can control about that, especially at a buffet, but we have never had a long wait to be seated here.

Like I said before though, we are coming to the realization that as four adults we just don't eat enough to justify a Disney buffet out of pocket too often. I even wondered at some point it using the dining plan on them was a good use of our credits with all the other great table service venues around these days. I'm not saying we won;t be back but we will probably be more selective about pay one price meals in the future.

Our total here was $161.88...and we walked out full and happy with our Hundred Acre Woods experience!

I am adding the mugs in here because they were purchased last night but I did not want to do an entry for just mugs...but to us they count because we do use them and we would probably buy them without the plan.

OOP TOTAL $48.69
Mugs total = $80.90

DDDP TOTAL $634.30
OVERALL TOTAL $972.09
DDDP Credits used = 10
Snack Credits used =3
Mugs = 4
 
Wolfgang Puck Express


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We had decided what we wanted by the sign outside while we were waiting.


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We all went to order, grab out pops, and sat at our favorite table here!

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Lemonade, Diet Coke, Coke, and Coke.

The waitress brought us table ware and condiments...they have plastic straws here...LOVE IT!

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I had the
Belgian Waffles

seasonal fresh Fruit, Maple Syrup and Whipped Cream

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Skye was going to share with me. This was ok. It was not very hot. It could have used more whopped cream and fruit really. But the flavor was good and we enjoyed it enough!

Skyler ordered the
Classic Breakfast

Scrambled Eggs, Bacon or Sausage, Crispy Potatoes, Sourdough or Whole-Grain Toast

With sausage and sourdough toast. She picked the chives off of the eggs before eating them but otherwise she ate almost all of this! The potatoes are really good, they just need salt. The toast was not hot and the butter was cold so it was not the best combination bit some if it did get eaten.

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Tyler ordered the
Classic Breakfast

Scrambled Eggs, Bacon or Sausage, Crispy Potatoes, Sourdough or Whole-Grain Toast

...with Bacon, Sourdough toast, and extra eggs instead of the potatoes. His eggs were steaming hot but his bacon was ice cold so the waitress took it back and bought him new bacon. It was quite a bit of bacon compared to Skye's two sausages but it was crispy and hot so he wasn't sharing! He did not even mind the chives on his eggs.

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Cary ordered the
Classic Breakfast

Scrambled Eggs, Bacon or Sausage, Crispy Potatoes, Sourdough or Whole-Grain Toast

...with sausage and sourdough toast. He liked it all.

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Both Skye and Cary shared their potatoes with me and they were really good. Skye shared my waffle and there was plenty for everyone! Our waitress brought us refills a couple of times but otherwise we did not need her. THe place filled up by the time we were leaving in about 20 minutes.

Our total was $67.21 and it was all very good and worth the trip! I don't know if I'd go out of my way to eat breakfast here bit if in the area at the time, it would definitely be an option!

OOP TOTAL $67.21

DDDP TOTAL $0.00
OVERALL TOTAL $67.21
your pics are GINORMOUSE... get it? LOL!!! and I LOVE IT!!!! those make me want breakfast like RIGHT NOW!!! LOL!!!!
 
California Grill

We were checked in and were told no problem. We were told to head around to the elevator and she'd be down in a second. We walked up and the doors opened. We headed up and were handed a pager and told it would only be a few minutes...it buzzed immediately.

We love California Grill, it is Tyler's reigning favorite, but we have always had dinner during fireworks so at night when it is dark. This 5pm ADR was new for us.

We were walked to our table and of course I am thinking we are going to get a not as desirable table since we were late. But we were lead to one of the best!

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How's that for an awesome view? And very different from the view at night...although night time is super cool too!

Our waitress, Joanna, came by and explained what the Deluxe Dining plan included (basically the whole menu!) and took our drink orders...the kids ordered a Coke and a water...they offer you your choice of three different types of water (we chose Evian at the cost of $28.00 if we had not been on the dining plan...and she did not mention the cost when we asked for water so I would have been surprised at the cost since we would have been fine with tap water) and serve from the iced bottle (think champagne style) and Skyler loves that! I also got water with my drink. Cary ended up ordering a Coke once he finished his drink. I ordered the
Blackberry Sour

Ketel One Citroen Vodka, House-made Lemonade, Fresh Blackberries

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Cary ordered
San Francisco Mai Tai

Captain Morgan, Almond Orgeat Syrup, Fresh Juices, Gosling’s Black Seal Floater

It took a little longer for Cary and my drinks to be brought out so we already had our other drinks and bread, oils and sun dried tomatoes, and salted butter.

We both really enjoyed our drinks...Cary was on a Mai Tai streak and he was enjoying it. Both felt like they had a decent pour of alcohol but were not overpowering...I don't like the alcohol-y taste so I appreciate the kind of drink that you don't notice until you need to function....LOL! The bread was a crunchy outside with a warm soft center and the kids attacked! We liked that we could have the "fancy" tomato spread AND the plain old butter (for those boring people in my family) and I thought the tomato/oil spread was super good. It was easy to spread over the bread and made for a different bread service than we usually get.

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Skye found a not so hidden Mickey below...

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We always only order three meals here because Skyler's FAVORITE food is here on the kid's menu. So for appetizers I ordered what is on my receipt as "pizza corn". It is not on the online menu anymore and I keep saying I am going to either take a picture of the menu for the items we order or write down the description...but I didn't.

So here's the picture...and let me just say that the description did not prepare me for what this was...but I enjoyed it!

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Other than being a bit well done on parts of the crust, this was really good! I liked that there were not so many sprouts that is was overtaken by them. The peppers had a little kick but not too crazy with all the other flavors...just enough. And I really can't tell you what else was on it besides, obviously, corn. I really enjoyed it, cary has a piece but no one else would try it.

Cary ordered what is on the receipt as "New Moon Roll" but is also not on the menu any more. It was a lobster roll and was super good and fresh!

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There was avocado over the outside of the roll and the sauce was slightly spicy but not hot. We both loved this sushi but the kids wont touch it. Skyler wants to like sushi and she's gotten close to trying it but still hasn't yet.

Tyler and Skyler shared the
Pepperoni

House-made Bison Pepperoni, Tomato Conserva, Fontina, Asiago, Parmesan, Mozzarella, Basil-Oregano Pistou

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And he was kind of surprised when it arrived. He knew it was different than the regular pepperoni flatbread he has made for himself here but he did not realize it was a green pesto type basil thing. And the pepperoni did not look like pepperoni. At first he was put off...because hes a freak! But he decided to be adventurous and tried it...and he really liked it and did not even try to scrape the green stuff off! LOL! We all tasted it and it was really good...and different than your usual pepperoni pizza. I think he'd order it again.

For entrees I got something else not on the menu anymore...the Surf & Turf as it is listed on the receipt.

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And apparently we were all having reading issues because I did not notice that there was a sauce on the lobster (which I would have asked for on the side because Skye was planning on sharing it with me. But I was able to get it off mostly and she was able to get some from the bottom side of it. It was cooked really well. I liked the sauce but I like Lobster better with just it's regular flavor. The sauce on the lobster was different than the one that the filet sat on...it had more spice to it. The files was awesome...and I loved the green sauce...unfortunately I cannot tell you what it was because it's not on the menu anymore. I did not get to eat a lot of it though...you'll see why in a bit.

Tyler got the Kansas City Strip with Aged Gouda Macaroni and Cheese ( that is also not on the menu anymore!) and he was not happy with it.

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It looks pretty doesn't it? Well he got through about half of the steak and was going to give up. It was very sinewy and hard to even cut. The parts he could get off he liked and it was cooked medium rare as he likes it but he was not a fan. The mac and cheese was a "grown up" version and he ate some of it and Skye ate some of it. She liked hers better though. I, being the wonderful mother I am, gave Tyler about half of my steak which he thought was loads better even with the sauces. I ate the rest of his, what I could get off of it. It had good flavor but it was a difficult cut. I am not sure if that is what that cut of meat is normally or if he just got a bad piece. It had the potential to be so good! I also liked the mac & cheese better than either of them.

Skyler got the
House-made Macaroni & Cheese

Served with choice of two (2) Selections and choice of Small Lowfat Milk, Small Dasani® Water, or Small Minute Maid® Apple Juice

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And I always fail to realize at the time that they NEVER offer her her two sides! Yet, we pay full price for it. Anyway, she says this is THE best mac & cheese anywhere. It is pretty good. She also shared here and there with everyone else.

And Cary got the
Oak-fired Filet of Beef

Aged Gouda Macaroni and Cheese, Grilled Sweet Onions, Sautéed Ice Spinach, Steak Sauce


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Except, as you can see, it came with a mashed potato and asparagus. His was the clear winner. It was a simple, typical dish but it was simply the best of our options...not that I regret my choice, but Tyler definitely did! He gets his medium well and Skye ate his asparagus. He was happy with is meal, for sure.

At one point they came around and closed the blinds half way because the sun was at a wrong angle for dining at that time of the day.

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For dessert I ordered the
Lavender Doughnuts

Blueberry Gin Jam, Pistachio Crumble, Blueberry Frozen Yogurt

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Suprise! It is still on the menu...and it was super good! Lavender is an odd flavor to me but it was so subtle that it worked in this. The doughnuts were a light sugar doughnut and the crumble underneath gave it all a crunchy texture....and the Blueberry Frozen Yogurt topped the whole thing off really well. We all liked this.

Cary ordered the
Strawberry Crème Brûlée

Vanilla Bean Crème Brûlée, Fresh Local Strawberries, Cornflake Crunch, Coconut Whip, Sponge Cake

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And he really enjoyed it. I liked that it wasn't a typical creme brulee presentation. It all went together perfectly and the creme brulee was really creamy with a nice, crunchy layer of sugar on the top.

Tyler ordered the
Warm Valrhona Chocolate Cake

Vanilla Bean Ice Cream, Milk Chocolate-whipped Panna Cotta, Pretzel Crunch

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It wasn't very lava-y though. There was a soft inside but it did not flow out like it is supposed to...but it all tasted good and the ice cream with all that chocolate was perfect. Skyler and Tyler ate most of this.

All in all, we love California Grill. I think it is Tyler's favorite...and a top for the rest of us. It is upscale but not stuffy. There are people in all sorts of dress and although I wish they would not wear their park clothes, it does not really affect our experience. There are young people, old people, kids, babies, all sorts of people eating there at all the same time. We have watched crazy families who were loud and obnoxious and have also seen people on a romantic date night.

We have been here many times and it is an expensive meal.Our total here was $414.15 which was $11.72 out of pocket for Skye's mac and cheese and $402.43 on the dining plan...we used 6 credits. I am sure we will be back in the future.

OOP TOTAL $430.41

Mugs total = $80.90
DDDP TOTAL $1036.73
OVERALL TOTAL $1467.14

DDDP Credits used = 16
Snack Credits used =3
Mugs = 4
 
California Grill

We were checked in and were told no problem. We were told to head around to the elevator and she'd be down in a second. We walked up and the doors opened. We headed up and were handed a pager and told it would only be a few minutes...it buzzed immediately.

We love California Grill, it is Tyler's reigning favorite, but we have always had dinner during fireworks so at night when it is dark. This 5pm ADR was new for us.

We were walked to our table and of course I am thinking we are going to get a not as desirable table since we were late. But we were lead to one of the best!

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How's that for an awesome view? And very different from the view at night...although night time is super cool too!

Our waitress, Joanna, came by and explained what the Deluxe Dining plan included (basically the whole menu!) and took our drink orders...the kids ordered a Coke and a water...they offer you your choice of three different types of water (we chose Evian at the cost of $28.00 if we had not been on the dining plan...and she did not mention the cost when we asked for water so I would have been surprised at the cost since we would have been fine with tap water) and serve from the iced bottle (think champagne style) and Skyler loves that! I also got water with my drink. Cary ended up ordering a Coke once he finished his drink. I ordered the
Blackberry Sour

Ketel One Citroen Vodka, House-made Lemonade, Fresh Blackberries

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Cary ordered
San Francisco Mai Tai

Captain Morgan, Almond Orgeat Syrup, Fresh Juices, Gosling’s Black Seal Floater

It took a little longer for Cary and my drinks to be brought out so we already had our other drinks and bread, oils and sun dried tomatoes, and salted butter.

We both really enjoyed our drinks...Cary was on a Mai Tai streak and he was enjoying it. Both felt like they had a decent pour of alcohol but were not overpowering...I don't like the alcohol-y taste so I appreciate the kind of drink that you don't notice until you need to function....LOL! The bread was a crunchy outside with a warm soft center and the kids attacked! We liked that we could have the "fancy" tomato spread AND the plain old butter (for those boring people in my family) and I thought the tomato/oil spread was super good. It was easy to spread over the bread and made for a different bread service than we usually get.

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Skye found a not so hidden Mickey below...

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We always only order three meals here because Skyler's FAVORITE food is here on the kid's menu. So for appetizers I ordered what is on my receipt as "pizza corn". It is not on the online menu anymore and I keep saying I am going to either take a picture of the menu for the items we order or write down the description...but I didn't.

So here's the picture...and let me just say that the description did not prepare me for what this was...but I enjoyed it!

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Other than being a bit well done on parts of the crust, this was really good! I liked that there were not so many sprouts that is was overtaken by them. The peppers had a little kick but not too crazy with all the other flavors...just enough. And I really can't tell you what else was on it besides, obviously, corn. I really enjoyed it, cary has a piece but no one else would try it.

Cary ordered what is on the receipt as "New Moon Roll" but is also not on the menu any more. It was a lobster roll and was super good and fresh!

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There was avocado over the outside of the roll and the sauce was slightly spicy but not hot. We both loved this sushi but the kids wont touch it. Skyler wants to like sushi and she's gotten close to trying it but still hasn't yet.

Tyler and Skyler shared the
Pepperoni

House-made Bison Pepperoni, Tomato Conserva, Fontina, Asiago, Parmesan, Mozzarella, Basil-Oregano Pistou

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And he was kind of surprised when it arrived. He knew it was different than the regular pepperoni flatbread he has made for himself here but he did not realize it was a green pesto type basil thing. And the pepperoni did not look like pepperoni. At first he was put off...because hes a freak! But he decided to be adventurous and tried it...and he really liked it and did not even try to scrape the green stuff off! LOL! We all tasted it and it was really good...and different than your usual pepperoni pizza. I think he'd order it again.

For entrees I got something else not on the menu anymore...the Surf & Turf as it is listed on the receipt.

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And apparently we were all having reading issues because I did not notice that there was a sauce on the lobster (which I would have asked for on the side because Skye was planning on sharing it with me. But I was able to get it off mostly and she was able to get some from the bottom side of it. It was cooked really well. I liked the sauce but I like Lobster better with just it's regular flavor. The sauce on the lobster was different than the one that the filet sat on...it had more spice to it. The files was awesome...and I loved the green sauce...unfortunately I cannot tell you what it was because it's not on the menu anymore. I did not get to eat a lot of it though...you'll see why in a bit.

Tyler got the Kansas City Strip with Aged Gouda Macaroni and Cheese ( that is also not on the menu anymore!) and he was not happy with it.

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It looks pretty doesn't it? Well he got through about half of the steak and was going to give up. It was very sinewy and hard to even cut. The parts he could get off he liked and it was cooked medium rare as he likes it but he was not a fan. The mac and cheese was a "grown up" version and he ate some of it and Skye ate some of it. She liked hers better though. I, being the wonderful mother I am, gave Tyler about half of my steak which he thought was loads better even with the sauces. I ate the rest of his, what I could get off of it. It had good flavor but it was a difficult cut. I am not sure if that is what that cut of meat is normally or if he just got a bad piece. It had the potential to be so good! I also liked the mac & cheese better than either of them.

Skyler got the
House-made Macaroni & Cheese

Served with choice of two (2) Selections and choice of Small Lowfat Milk, Small Dasani® Water, or Small Minute Maid® Apple Juice

img_5046.jpg


And I always fail to realize at the time that they NEVER offer her her two sides! Yet, we pay full price for it. Anyway, she says this is THE best mac & cheese anywhere. It is pretty good. She also shared here and there with everyone else.

And Cary got the
Oak-fired Filet of Beef

Aged Gouda Macaroni and Cheese, Grilled Sweet Onions, Sautéed Ice Spinach, Steak Sauce


img_5047.jpg


Except, as you can see, it came with a mashed potato and asparagus. His was the clear winner. It was a simple, typical dish but it was simply the best of our options...not that I regret my choice, but Tyler definitely did! He gets his medium well and Skye ate his asparagus. He was happy with is meal, for sure.

At one point they came around and closed the blinds half way because the sun was at a wrong angle for dining at that time of the day.

img_5048.jpg


img_5049.jpg


img_5049.jpg


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img_5051.jpg


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For dessert I ordered the
Lavender Doughnuts

Blueberry Gin Jam, Pistachio Crumble, Blueberry Frozen Yogurt

img_5053.jpg


Suprise! It is still on the menu...and it was super good! Lavender is an odd flavor to me but it was so subtle that it worked in this. The doughnuts were a light sugar doughnut and the crumble underneath gave it all a crunchy texture....and the Blueberry Frozen Yogurt topped the whole thing off really well. We all liked this.

Cary ordered the
Strawberry Crème Brûlée

Vanilla Bean Crème Brûlée, Fresh Local Strawberries, Cornflake Crunch, Coconut Whip, Sponge Cake

img_5054.jpg


And he really enjoyed it. I liked that it wasn't a typical creme brulee presentation. It all went together perfectly and the creme brulee was really creamy with a nice, crunchy layer of sugar on the top.

Tyler ordered the
Warm Valrhona Chocolate Cake

Vanilla Bean Ice Cream, Milk Chocolate-whipped Panna Cotta, Pretzel Crunch

img_5055.jpg


It wasn't very lava-y though. There was a soft inside but it did not flow out like it is supposed to...but it all tasted good and the ice cream with all that chocolate was perfect. Skyler and Tyler ate most of this.

All in all, we love California Grill. I think it is Tyler's favorite...and a top for the rest of us. It is upscale but not stuffy. There are people in all sorts of dress and although I wish they would not wear their park clothes, it does not really affect our experience. There are young people, old people, kids, babies, all sorts of people eating there at all the same time. We have watched crazy families who were loud and obnoxious and have also seen people on a romantic date night.

We have been here many times and it is an expensive meal.Our total here was $414.15 which was $11.72 out of pocket for Skye's mac and cheese and $402.43 on the dining plan...we used 6 credits. I am sure we will be back in the future.

OOP TOTAL $430.41

Mugs total = $80.90
DDDP TOTAL $1036.73
OVERALL TOTAL $1467.14

DDDP Credits used = 16
Snack Credits used =3
Mugs = 4
the food pics are amazing!! I enjoy your posts very much - thank you for sharing!!!
 
I am an embarrassing 2 months behind, but all caught up now. Loving all the quick service stops around DS. What a great way to try so many new things.
 
California Grill

All in all, we love California Grill. I think it is Tyler's favorite...and a top for the rest of us. It is upscale but not stuffy. There are people in all sorts of dress and although I wish they would not wear their park clothes, it does not really affect our experience. There are young people, old people, kids, babies, all sorts of people eating there at all the same time. We have watched crazy families who were loud and obnoxious and have also seen people on a romantic date night.


This is good to know, thank you! Always wanted to try California Grill but was always afraid to bring the kiddos. They behave, but they are still kids.
 
Everything Pop

We got back to the room around 11pm and the kids wanted to burn some snack credits so they went up to Everything Pop.

There wasn't much available at that hour (around 11:15pm) so they ended up with Shark Cupcake...

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...that was butter cream frosting with yellow cake and pineapple pudding like stuff in the middle. It was pretty good but you could tell it had been sitting in cold all day.

They also got a
Tie-dye Cheesecake


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Which I think Skye ate a bite of, put in the fridge, and finished in the morning. She liked t but she does not remember the way they used to be when she was little and they were new...so much better! Not that I'd turn down the new version but the old version was so much better!

Their total was $10.95 or 2 snack credits.

OOP TOTAL $430.41

Mugs total = $80.90
DDDP TOTAL $1047.68
OVERALL TOTAL $1478.09
DDDP Credits used = 16
Snack Credits used =5
Mugs = 4
 
Akershus

We were called into our Akershus reservation a couple of minutes past our ADR time.

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So were taken in and lined up behind one other party to get our pictures with Belle.

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We were led through the restaurant to the front rotunda section, It was nice over there, just a few tables so not a lot of traffic of people coming and going the whole meal. We placed our drink orders and headed up to the cold bar.

Below is Skyler's first plate...cantaloupe and honeydew, croissant, cinnamon roll, blueberry muffin, and Mickey Waffles. She was happy with it all.

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This would be Tyler's plate...Mickey Waffles, some of some kind of bread, cinnamon rolls, and a croissant. He ate it all so I assume it was satisfying!

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Next is my plate...peaches, salami, a roll, Mickey Waffles with butter, and a croissant with jelly. All was very good and fresh. It did not seem to have been sitting very long.

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This is Cary's plate...just peaches, honeydew and cantaloupe and swiss cheese. I have no idea how he eats swiss cheese plain but he enjoyed his plate.

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Shortly after we finished our server (earning her ears) brought our platter and more drinks.


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It was bacon, sausage, potato casserole, and scrambled eggs. I thought it was all good (especially the potatoes), Cary liked the meat but thought the eggs were not done enough for him, and the Kids liked everything except the potatoes...but they are just weird! We did think that was kind of a small amount to bring for four "adults" so we did end up needing more of the bacon and eggs.

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Here is the cool ceiling where we were sitting.

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And pictures around our table...

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Cinderella was the first to come by.

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She didn't have much to say and was pretty business-y. Signed, did not comment on her page or the book (most others did, even if they couldn't even actually talk!), smiled and moved on.

Then Snow White came by...

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She loved the book and her page (I do have to say, it is one of my favorites too!).

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Aurora was next. She was nice and commented on her page but wasn't overly friendly or anything.

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I mean she didn't rush through like she was in a hurry or anything, she just did not seem interested in talking to a bunch of "adults".

Next was Ariel...she's still Skyler's favorite!

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Some where in here a plate of Mickey Waffles was produced too!

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The castle is so pretty!

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The bathroom doors are labeled in Norwegian...

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We were only here for about 45 minutes...the joy of having an early ADR! Our waitress was new-ish so she seemed a little nervous but she was good...there when we needed her but not intrusive. We all really enjoy breakfast here. It has been a long time since we have lunch or dinner here. I think because for the cost, we don't think the lunch and dinner menus sound worth it when there is SO much other great food in the World Showcase...table service and counter service. We will most likely continue coming back here when we need a breakfast at Epcot.

I do not have my receipt for some reason, I thought I had such a great process this trip...apparently not! But going with the cost from Allears our total would have been $221.52 but we paid 4 dining plan credits!

OOP TOTAL $430.41

Mugs total = $80.90
DDDP TOTAL $1269.20
OVERALL TOTAL $1699.61
DDDP Credits used = 20
Snack Credits used =5
Mugs = 4
 
Seasons

And of course, Skyler cannot come in here without stopping for something to eat! So we grabbed an Odwalla Lemonade slushy...

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It was a good slushy...finely ground ice and not too sweet, not too tart.

And an Oreo Cheesecake Pop...


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The cheesecake was really good...fresh! We all enjoyed a little bit of it.

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We love Seasons...I don't think it will ever get on the MUST DO list but somehow it always makes an appearance whether it is for a snack or a meal. Our total here was $10.94 or 2 snack credits.

OOP TOTAL $430.41

Mugs total = $80.90
DDDP TOTAL $1280.14
OVERALL TOTAL $1710.55
DDDP Credits used = 20
Snack Credits used =7
Mugs = 4
 
Fountainview/Starbucks

And of course we have to stop here...


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Mine is a Strawberry Acai Refresher, Skye's in a Mango Dragonfriut Refresher, Tyler's is a Vanilla Bean Cream Frappe, and Cary's is an Iced Caramel Macchiato. We all enjoyed them. It was not crazy crowded like it usually is so that was nice. Skyler is a Starbucks freak so snack credits = Starbucks for her! Our total was $23.82 or 4 snack credits!

OOP TOTAL $430.41

Mugs total = $80.90
DDDP TOTAL $1303.96
OVERALL TOTAL $1734.37
DDDP Credits used = 20
Snack Credits used =11
Mugs = 4
 

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