"Don't Forget to Pack the Extra Stomachs!" - F&W, BCV Nov. 10-14 ~ Updated 11/17

[Dugette]

Well, considering that we leave in two weeks and three days, I guess I should get this PTR on the road, huh?

The basics:

Dates: November 10th-14th, 2010

Resorts: Pop Century for the arrival night, then a studio at Beach Club Villas for the rest of the trip

Dining: We're going for the Food and Wine Festival, so we will be doing a lot of eating around the world. We also do have some ADRs, probably more than we should, given the whole eating around the world thing. Some may have to be cancelled, we'll see.

What are we Celebrating?: A belated celebration of our 5-year anniversary (October 1st)! Rather than doing a big, expensive trip to Greece for our anniversary (which had been a thought), we opted to do a Year of Disney this year (with Annual Passes). We went in September 2009 (pre-APs...this started the addiction), January 2010, June 2010, August 2010, this trip November 2010, and we also have a December 2010 trip planned.

The Cast:

Myself, "Dugette" and DH, "Dug."

Table of Contents:
Let's Talk Resorts!
The Overall Agenda
ADRs in Depth
Food & Wine Booths - Part 1
Food & Wine Booths - Part 2
Food & Wine Booths - Part 3
A Few ADR Notes
ADR Decision Made!
This 'n' That at Epcot
One More Week!
A Bit of Progress
A Little Sunshine!
We're Gonna Need Those Extra Stomachs!
Making Progress!
Messing with an ADR
The Pets Prepare
Leaving Today!
We're Back!
Trip Report is Started!

 

[Dugette]

We seem to have found a WDW travel day agenda that works well for us. We work all day, head to the airport after work, eat dinner, fly out, and arrive in Orlando around 11pm. Given our late arrival, it doesn't make a lot of sense to pay $200+ for a room for the night, since we'll just be crashing late and getting up early. So, we like to stay at Pop for the first night, then start our time at our "real" resort the next day.

We did this in June and we plan to do it again on this November trip and our December trip. We also discovered in June that transferring from Pop to another resort is super easy. All we had to do was call down in the morning to let them know we were transferring, tell them how many bags we had, and leave them in front of the window inside of our room. And, sure enough, when we checked into our other resort (AKL) later, our bags were waiting! Couldn't be easier!

We actually really like Pop Century. Especially the newly refurbished rooms. We plan to put in a room request for either the 80's (where we were last time) or the 90's, since I think those are all refurbed. Here was our room in June:

After our first night's sleep, we'll leave our luggage, take our park bag, and head out to the parks. Later that day, we'll head over to the Beach Club Villas and check in and retrieve our luggage. We need to figure out what to put in for a room request there. I know that there are some rooms where you can see Illuminations, which would be cool. We also want to be as close as possible to Epcot, as we'll be walking over there a lot for F&W. Any suggestions?

Here are some pics we've taken of BC/BCV on our past trips:

We are so excited to be staying at BCV! It will be so convenient to walk over to World Showcase for all the Food & Wine stuff. And it looks so nice. We walked through the resort back in January and thought it seemed like a great place. Plus, we'll have access to Stormalong Bay! Sounds so nice!

I should also mention that we are bargain shoppers. We got an AP discount for our night at Pop ($82.69 rate). We used our Bounceback offer in January to book the BCV. The offer included 40% off Deluxe Resorts, but 45% off Deluxe Villas. Which actually made staying in a BCV Studio cheaper than staying in a BC standard room! Plus, we'll have a fridge and microwave in the room (in case we have leftovers from all of our eating around the world!)

More to come!

 

[Dugette]

I just sat down with Dug to review our spreadsheet. Strangely enough, we knew where we were eating, but not which parks we would be going to. So, we made some decisions on which parks to hit and when. Here's what we've got so far:

Weds. 11/10:
Work
Fly to MCO, arriving 11:08pm
Magical Express to Pop Century
Sleep!

Thurs. 11/11:
Up early
Arrive MK by 8am for EMH
Get in a bunch of rides
Leave MK by 10am and head to Epcot
At 11am, find some F&W booths that have good "appetizers" before our lunch
Noon ADR at Chefs de France
Spend afternoon snacking around the world
Hear Rick Springfield sing "Jessie's Girl" hopefully (Eat to the Beat Concert)
At some point, go to BCV and check in
Maybe nap or enjoy Stormalong Bay
Dueling ADRs this night, hoping to see Illuminations: 7:50pm Rose and Crown and 7:15pm La Hacienda de San Angel. Clearly, we'll have to cancel one.
Back to the BCV for a good night's sleep

Fri. 11/12:
8am ADR for breakfast at Kouzzina. We went in January and loved it!
Head into Epcot and ride things/obtain Fast Passes in Future World
11am WS opens and we spend the afternoon sampling things at the booths and checking out the entertainment
We're planning to skip AK on this trip, but if we change our minds, AK has EMH from 5-8pm this night
Spend some time during the afternoon at our resort, napping or swimming
8pm Le Cellier reservation - we'll see if we're hungry for this!
Back to the BCV for a good night's sleep

Sat. 11/13:
Up early
Grab Yogurt Parfaits from BC Marketplace for breakfast (I've heard they're good)
Get to DHS by 8am for EMH
TSM stampede
Mid/Late morning, return to Epcot
Our ADR most likely to be cancelled: 11:30am Via Napoli (Although good, we managed to go in August and have another ADR in December, so this is expendable in the name of more F&W samplings)
Spend the afternoon much like the previous day
Hopefully catch the Eat to the Beat of the weekend: Big Bad Voodoo Daddy. Dug said they are a swing band and we like to swing dance.
9:15 ADR for CA Grill (Wishes at 10pm this night). We loved this place for our anniversary dinner last year, so we wanted to return. We might not be very hungry, though.
Head over to MK for EMH until 2am! Love the late nights there!
Back to BCV, very late, for some precious sleep!

Sun. 11/14:
Flexible morning: sleep in/go to a park/Downtown Disney/Stormalong Bay
11am-either F&W booths if there are still things we want or try to get in at Beaches and Cream for lunch
Probably will have Magical Express pick-up around 12:30pm. I wish there were later flights!
Fly out at 3:25pm
Arrive home
Plan for December trip!

 

[Dugette]

So, I wanted to provide a little more detail on the ADRs that we have:

Chefs de France - Thurs. 11/11 Noon

This ADR came about because I saw it recommended in a number of people's TRs. And, on our Sept. '09 trip, we'd caught sight of Remy through the window and thought it was pretty cool. And I love a bargain. We can split a 3-course meal for $20 here. And Dug loves French Onion soup. We plan to eat fairly light here by splitting the meal.

Rose & Crown - Thurs. 11/11 7:50pm

We made this ADR purely to have a good view of Illuminations. I'm sure we'd like the food too, but it's not a must-have. We figured it would be fine, though, since we're planning to eat light at our ADRs because of all the F&W things we want to try. Not sure we'll keep this ADR, due to...

La Hacienda de San Angel - Thurs. 11/11 7:15pm

My understanding is that there are some good Illuminations views to be had from here also. And we're intrigued by trying a new place. The only ADR we could get was at 7:15pm, though, which seems too early for Illuminations, unless we can drag out our meal long enough (course by course and lots of "indecisiveness"). I will keep trying to get a later ADR for this one. If not, maybe we'll just have a tiny meal at both places!

Kouzzina - Fri. 11/12 8am

We went here for breakfast on Day 9 of our January trip and really liked it. I particularly fell in love with the Sweet Potato Hash. Ever since then, I've wanted to go back and get some more. I was recovering from a stomach flu when we ate there in January, so I don't know if the SPH was really as good as I remember or if I was just starved due to having been ill. Getting to Kouzzina will be a nice easy walk from BCV.

Le Cellier - Fri. 11/12 8pm

On our January trip, Dug had to go here solo, since I was so ill I couldn't leave the room. I did get some leftover bread and chocolate cake that the waiter sent back with Dug, though. Yum! We both went here in June and it was a great meal. But we were so stuffed that I had no room for the Chocolate Moose dessert. I really want that, so we're planning to return! Also, in January, Dug had the Mushroom Filet w/Risotto. In June, we shared the NY Strip Steak with Cream Cheese Mashed Potatoes. Awesome! I'm thinking this time we might have to do the Mushroom Filet (so I can try it), but sub the Cream Cheese Mashed Potatoes for the Risotto, because they were amazing!

Via Napoli - Sat. 11/13 11:30am

We will probably end up canceling this ADR. Nothing against Via Napoli, it's yummy, but we're concerned about having enough appetite for all the F&W items we want to try. And we managed to get into Via Napoli during the soft opening period on our August trip. Plus, we have a December ADR too, so we could probably let this one go. We haven't pulled the trigger on that yet, though.

California Grill - Sat. 11/13 9:15pm

We had an amazing meal here in September 2009! So good that we thought it would be appropriate to go back this year for our "anniversary dinner." We're not sure we'll be very hungry, though. But we're thinking we can keep it light by splitting the cheese plate, an app/small entree, and dessert. That Valrhona Chocolate Cake was great and it looks like the menu right now is showing that it comes with Peanut Butter Gelato...yummy! And Wishes is at 10pm, so we should be able to watch from either our table or the balcony.

It feels silly to have so many ADRs when there's F&W going on, but there's just too much good stuff to eat at WDW!

 

[Tnkrbelle565]

joining in again!!!

My advice is NOT to do 2 ADRS on F&W days. We just couldn't do it. We ended up cancelling our dinner ADR. And in fairness, we didn't even eat a ton at F&W but snacking and 2 ADRs is too much.

Can't wait to see your thoughts on BC...we *may* have a ressie there for our next trip

 

[Dugette]

joining in again!!!

My advice is NOT to do 2 ADRS on F&W days. We just couldn't do it. We ended up cancelling our dinner ADR. And in fairness, we didn't even eat a ton at F&W but snacking and 2 ADRs is too much.

Can't wait to see your thoughts on BC...we *may* have a ressie there for our next trip

Welcome back, Kristine, glad to have you here!

You are probably right about the ADRs. We originally had almost nothing scheduled, but then kept thinking of places we really wanted to squeeze in. We are planning to share meals at every single place (ADRs and F&W booths), but it is still likely to be too much. I will not be surprised if there are cancelled ADRs in our future.

I can't wait to stay at the BC. And this will be our first time in any Deluxe Villa property. I'll be sure to tell you all about it. That's awesome that you *might* have a ressie there!

 

[Dugette]

I want to start to cover our plans for the booths at Food & Wine. We went through the menu awhile back and marked down our "must have"s and "would like to try"s. Luckily, we have similar enough taste that many of our choices overlapped. Since then, I've subscribed to a couple of threads on the Dining board that have helped me to refine our picks. There is a F&W photo thread and a F&W review thread that have been helpful.

I don't expect we'll get every single thing on our list. There's just too much that sounds good. But, we'll do the best we can. As long as we remember to pack those extra stomachs...

Also, we're more interested in the Food than the Wine, but we may pick up a few drinks here and there if we're so inclined.

Going in order around the World:

1.) Chile: No "must have"s, but we both might like to try the Pastel de Choclo (Beef & Corn Pie)

2.) Desserts & Champagne: Originally, I had marked the Dark Chocolate Sensation as a "must have." With a name like that, how could you go wrong? Well, the reviews I've seen so far have all been negative, with a resounding theme of saying that it wasn't very chocolatey! We both were mildly interested in the Strawberry Angel Verrine and the Pear Streusel Pudding Cake. I haven't really seen any reviews of them that I recall. I wonder if this is the same place that has the dessert sampler? If so, maybe we'd consider that. Nothing at this booth is a "must have" for us, though.

3.) Brazil: Dug's "must have" and my "might like to try" is the Grilled Pork Skewer with Farofa.

4.) Puerto Rico: We are both semi-intriqued by the Asopao de Pollo (Chicken Soup with Rice). Don't think I've seen any reviews on that one yet. After googling what a Medianoche Sandwich was, it's on my "must have" list. (From Wikipedia: The sandwich is made with ham, roasted pork, Swiss cheese, pickles, mustard, and sometimes salami on Cuban bread.) I've also seen some good reviews of this one.

5.) Argentina: Two that both of us want, the Roasted Corn and Cheese Empanada and the Grilled Beef Skewer with Chimichurri Sauce & Boniato Puree. Both have gotten good reviews, but the Grilled Beef Skewer seems to be the huge hit of F&W this year, from what I've seen. Must have!

6.) Mexico: A lot of this sounded good to me. I put down as "must have"s: Tamal de Pollo, Taco de Chilorio, and a Churro. I'm not sure now if all those are "must have"s, though. Although the Churro probably is, as I haven't had a WDW churro since I was a kid. Both of us put a "maybe" next to the Esquites (Pan Fried Corn & Spices).

7.) Poland: One "must have" for both of us, which is the Kielbasa and Potato Pierogies with Caramelized Onions and Sour Cream. We love pierogies!

8.) China: I put down the Pork Pot Stickers as a "must have", as I really like pot stickers. We both put a "maybe" for the Xinjiang Barbeque Chicken Stick.

9.) South Korea: We both put the Lettuce Wraps with Roast Pork & Kimchi Slaw as a "must have." Dug also included the BBQ Short Rib with Steamed Rice & Cucumber Kimchi as a "must have", but I put as a "maybe". I'll have a bite.

That's a good start for now. I'll get to the other two-thirds of the booths later!

 

[MiaBella05]

joining in. I am actually staying at the BC the same week as you are. The location to Epcot is what makes the BC my favorite hotel.

 

[jerseygirl16]

Joining in as well.

Can I just say I'm super jealous you're going for food and wine. I haven't been since I was 16 (and now I'm 22 ). Not to mention your numerous other trips this year.

Oh and plans look great so far.

 

[Tnkrbelle565]

Definitely schedule whatever your favorite ADR for lunch because you aren't making dinner with that list LOL!!!!

I forgot to comment last time how jealous I am that you are going to hear Jesse's Girl LOL! We had Boyz II Men last year. It was so fun!

We booked our trip a couple of months ago when Free Dining for 2011 was announced. But we still haven't ruled out renting DVC or switching around the ressie if a % off offer comes around Hence the "may have a ressie".

 

[Nermel9]

Hi! I'm joining in, finally! Your plans and ADR's sound great so far, although I think you are going to be really full on your Food and Wine days! (If you end up canceling that Le Cellier ADR, let me know! I'm trying to get in a little earlier, but so far, no luck! )

I can't wait to sample everything from the F&W booths!

 

[Dugette]

joining in. I am actually staying at the BC the same week as you are. The location to Epcot is what makes the BC my favorite hotel.

That's awesome that you'll be at the BC when we are. If you see us around, say hi! I think the location will be so nice for all of our World Showcase time this trip!

Joining in as well.

Can I just say I'm super jealous you're going for food and wine. I haven't been since I was 16 (and now I'm 22 ). Not to mention your numerous other trips this year.

Oh and plans look great so far.

We've never been to F&W before, but we're super excited! Sounds like you had a good time there and are due for another visit! We're so lucky that we get to do all these trips this year. We'll be going through some serious WDW withdrawal in 2011!

Definitely schedule whatever your favorite ADR for lunch because you aren't making dinner with that list LOL!!!!

I forgot to comment last time how jealous I am that you are going to hear Jesse's Girl LOL! We had Boyz II Men last year. It was so fun!

We booked our trip a couple of months ago when Free Dining for 2011 was announced. But we still haven't ruled out renting DVC or switching around the ressie if a % off offer comes around Hence the "may have a ressie".

Uh oh, I think we're in trouble! That F&W list is only the first third of the booths! I did cancel Via Napoli a few minutes ago, when I called to confirm our ADRs (since WDW is having computer problems and none of our ADRs are showing online...they're all still in the system, though...whew!).

I wish I could see more of the Eat to the Beat concerts! Sounds so fun! But, we get a 1-hit wonder and some swing music, so that's okay by me.

Ah, I get it on your ressie! Definitely keep those options open for the best deal! I don't remember, are you going back for SWW again on this trip?

Hi! I'm joining in, finally! Your plans and ADR's sound great so far, although I think you are going to be really full on your Food and Wine days! (If you end up canceling that Le Cellier ADR, let me know! I'm trying to get in a little earlier, but so far, no luck! )

I can't wait to sample everything from the F&W booths!

Hey, Nermel, thanks for coming over! No "finally" needed, I just started this yesterday! I'm afraid of how full we're going to be on this trip! You'll be the first to know if we re-think that Le Cellier ressie.

 

[A&Bmama]

Hey Dugette,

The plan looks really good! Beach Club You have to tell me all about it! Someday I really want to work a couple of days there into a trip.

I so wish that we could do quick Disney getaways like you guys do. It would be nice to get a quick Disney fix every now and again. Ah well, it's just isn't possible for us.

We are going to try to do the Rose and Crown for Illuminations. I tried to persuade DH to give La Hacienda a go but not a chance. He hates to try anything different. I'm sure R&C will be nice too. Can't wait to hear which ADR you go with.

 

[Dugette]

Hey Dugette,

The plan looks really good! Beach Club You have to tell me all about it! Someday I really want to work a couple of days there into a trip.

I so wish that we could do quick Disney getaways like you guys do. It would be nice to get a quick Disney fix every now and again. Ah well, it's just isn't possible for us.

We are going to try to do the Rose and Crown for Illuminations. I tried to persuade DH to give La Hacienda a go but not a chance. He hates to try anything different. I'm sure R&C will be nice too. Can't wait to hear which ADR you go with.

Hey, A&Bmama, I'm glad you're here! I will tell you all about the BC! I'm really looking forward to it!

Funny, I was jealous of your 2-week trip...that sounds so ! I'm afraid of how much WDW withdrawal 2011 will bring after this Year of Disney!

Yeah, I think R&C is a good choice. I'm anxious to see which choice we go with too!

 

[Dugette]

10.) South Africa: We are both pretty interested in the Flavors of Africa (Salad, Bread, & Spreads) - and I think I've seen some good reviews of it. We are also both somewhat interested in the Seared Beef Tenderloin with Sweet Potato Puree & Mango Barbecue Sauce. Not sure if that's a must-do or not.

11.) Singapore: Coconut Braised Beef Rendang with Jasmine Rice is on Dug's "must have" list and my "might like to try" list.

12.) Brewer's Collection: I'm not a beer person. No plans for this place.

13.) Germany: We both definitely want to try the Spatzle Gratin with Ham & Cheese. Dug wants the Nurnberger Sausage in a Pretzel Roll - the pics I've seen of that are crazy - the sausage is WAY bigger than the pretzel. I'll probably have some of that one. We're both intrigued, but not sold on, the Apfel Strudel featuring Werther's Original Karamell Sauce.

14.) Italy: Here's where I eat everything. Dug "might like to try" some of these, but I put all of the food items as "must have"s. Because, how can you not eat yummy Italian things, really? So, here we have a whole meal's worth of stuff: Polpettine Toscane with a Rosemary Breadstick (translation: meatballs), Baked Cheese Ravioli with Creamy Bolognese Sauce & Melted Mozzerella, and Cannolo Al Cioccolato (chocolate cannoli! ). Does anyone know anything about the Primavera Fruit Smoothie? I think I read once that it is good, but I don't know what it is...is it an alcoholic drink or not?

15.) Hops & Barley: Nothing here for me. Dug has a couple "might like to try"s: Boston Style Crab Cake with Cabbage Slaw & Remoulade and New England Lobster Roll.

16.) United States: We are both somewhat interested in: Bison Chili with Wild Mushrooms, Cabernet, & Pepper Jack Cheese and Heirloom Tomatoes with Oregon Blue Cheese, Red Onions, & Basil.

17.) Japan: Nothing for me, but Dug marked the Tuna Sensation as a "maybe."

18.) Australia: Again, nothing for me, but Dug marked the Grilled Lamb Chop with Roasted Potato Salad & Red Wine Reduction as a "maybe."

So, there's your second third of the booths! Only 9 more to go!

 

[Dugette]

Okay, time for the last third of the countries!

19.) Morocco: I selected the Beef in a Pita Pocket as a "must have." We both put the Falafel Pita Pocket as a "maybe."

20.) Belgium: Dug selected the Steamed Mussels with Roasted Garlic Cream as a "must have." He also might like to try the Godiva Chocolate Ice Coffee. There is one item that neither of us marked as even a "maybe", but I've been seeing such rave reviews I'd consider it: the Freshly Baked Waffles with Berry Compote & Whipped Cream.

21.) Spain: "Must have" for both of us is the Taste of Spain (Serrano Ham, Chorizo, Manchego, Olives, & Tomato Bread). I had a mild interest in the Spanish Almond Cake also.

22.) France: Dug has a couple of "must have"s here. One is the Escargots Persillade en Brioche. I won't touch those with a 10-foot pole. The other is the Braised Short Ribs in Cabernet with Mashed Potatoes. I might have a bite or two of that. I'm also somewhat interested in the Creme Brulee au Chocolate au Lait. I keep seeing good reviews that say it tastes like chocolate milk.

23.) Ireland: Between the two of us, all three items are marked as "must have"s. Dug wants the Lobster & Scallop Fisherman's Pie (I've seen rave reviews of this, but I don't like seafood). I want the Kerrygold Cheese Selection and the Warm Chocolate Lava Cake with Baileys Irish Cream Ganache.

24.) Canada: I want some Canadian Cheddar Cheese Soup (unless we have it at Le Cellier...not sure yet). I also want the Nanaimo Bar (kind of a candy bar sort of thing). We both had put "maybe" for the Chicken Chipotle Sausage with Sweet Corn Polenta, but I just read a review that said it was nasty, so probably not.

25.) Charcuterie & Cheese: I want the Cheese Fondue with Croutons & Roasted Potatoes. Maybe also the Applewood Smoked Beef, Duck, & Ham.

26.) Greece: I love Greek Salad and I've heard good reviews on this one, so I want a Greek Salad with Pita Bread. I also might want the Spanakopita. Maybe the Chicken Souvlaki with Tzatziki too, as I've seen good reviews. Dug is a "maybe" on all of this.

27.) New Zealand: Nothing for me here. Dug has two "must have"s, the Seared Sea Scallop with Vegetable Slaw & Lemon Oil and the Lamb Slider with Tomato Chutney.

And that concludes our Food & Wine escapades! Think we'll be able to eat it all?! I think I might need to make some lists of our top "must have"s or something to keep it all straight!

 

[jerseygirl16]

Wow you guys are definitely going prepared to eat.

 

[Dugette]

Wow you guys are definitely going prepared to eat.

Why not have a "touring plan" for eating, right?

 

[Dugette]

We leave in 2 weeks!

Disney's website has been having problems with displaying ADRs lately. (There's a big thread on the Dining boards about it). For some people, only some of their ADRs were showing up. For us, none of our ADRs were showing up. Not one. Not November, Not December. Even when entering the confirmation numbers, which we have. Many people on the Dining thread said to call to confirm and the ADRs should still be in the system while Disney is working on the website, however some people claimed to have lost ADRs. I'd been waiting for things to show up online, but finally couldn't wait any longer and called Monday night. All of our November ADRs are still in place. I didn't check December...hopefully the website will be functional by then! Anyway, while I was on the phone with Disney Dining, I went ahead and cancelled our Via Napoli ADR. We'd made that before we knew we'd be taking our August trip and eating there, so it just didn't make sense anymore. I left all the others, though. I can't seem to bear to give them up. We'll see how I feel about that after eating my way through a few countries, though!

 

[jerseygirl16]

But of course. In that way you can maximize the cultural eating experience, which is really what F&W is all about.