This trip was a lesson in going with the flow. Plans changed, reservations changed, even our cast changed but we still had some great food. Most of it was at Disney but we did eat at our off property Disney Springs area hotel and we took a day away from the world to go to Cocoa Beach. I've got pictures of most of it but with all the hectic changes I did miss a few things. I'll be back soon to start the reviews.
Even If Everything Changes We've Still Got To Eat! 11/5 - 11/11 DR
- Thread starter kayrosek
- Start date
So to begin with a little introduction to our abbreviated main cast.
Me (Krystal or Baba to the grandkids): Mom, grandma, Disney addict and food lover. Of our group I definitely have the hardest time eating out. I have several health conditions and allergies that get in the way. I can't eat beef, pork, poultry, wild game or cinnamon or I will have terrible reactions. I also have to be careful of several other foods. I stick to a modified pescetarian diet (fish, seafood and vegetarian)
and travel with an epi pen on hand.
DH (John other wise known as Papa): Disabled Marine, proud dad and grandpa, Star Wars lover, major foodie and carnivore wannabe. He rarely gets meat at home so on vacation its his number one treat.
DS (Jonnie): Card carrying 21 year old, foodie, gamer, lover of all things Star Wars, Marvel and anything Japanese. Jonnie is allergic to cinnamon and hates mushrooms but will try almost anything else.
DD (Jen): Mom of two beautiful boys who celebrated their first trips this time at the tender ages of 2 and 11 mo. She's our slightly picky eater and she tends to graze more than finish meals. Her and the boys (D and baby H) were only with us from the 6th. Through the 9th.
We also met up for one day with my FIL and MIL but didn't really eat a lot with them.
Me (Krystal or Baba to the grandkids): Mom, grandma, Disney addict and food lover. Of our group I definitely have the hardest time eating out. I have several health conditions and allergies that get in the way. I can't eat beef, pork, poultry, wild game or cinnamon or I will have terrible reactions. I also have to be careful of several other foods. I stick to a modified pescetarian diet (fish, seafood and vegetarian)
and travel with an epi pen on hand.
DH (John other wise known as Papa): Disabled Marine, proud dad and grandpa, Star Wars lover, major foodie and carnivore wannabe. He rarely gets meat at home so on vacation its his number one treat.
DS (Jonnie): Card carrying 21 year old, foodie, gamer, lover of all things Star Wars, Marvel and anything Japanese. Jonnie is allergic to cinnamon and hates mushrooms but will try almost anything else.
DD (Jen): Mom of two beautiful boys who celebrated their first trips this time at the tender ages of 2 and 11 mo. She's our slightly picky eater and she tends to graze more than finish meals. Her and the boys (D and baby H) were only with us from the 6th. Through the 9th.
We also met up for one day with my FIL and MIL but didn't really eat a lot with them.
Our arrival day began with the news that our other cast members would not be meeting up with us due to a small family emergency. This put a bit of a damper on the beginning of the trip as we were looking forward to sharing it with them and spending time with our other grandson. It was also the cause of several of our changes.
We arrived in Orlando at 5pm to a total downpour and once we'd spoken to FIL and MIL it was quickly decided that we would ditch our Disney Springs plans for dinner in favor of warmth and rest. John and I checked into the Holiday Inn at Disney Springs (the others joined us the next day), braved the rain to explore the nearby Hilton dining options and then decided to just order from the bar at HI and go relax for the evening. John asked for a fruity drink and got what basically amounted to a tequila sunrise and I went for the same after tasting his. We ordered the steak and salmon respectively and were pleasantly surprised. There was alot of indoor seating adjacent to the bar, we were given a table number and our food was brought to us, served in plastic take away boxes. They were both well cooked and flavorful. John said that while the steak was not the best cut of meat, it tasted quite good and was something he would order again. The salmon was particularly good, though I would not have complained if I'd gotten more sauce (I really enjoyed what was on there). It was skin on and the skin was actually crispy and pleasant. The sides though nothing super special were quite good as well and we went to bed satisfied and ready to wake up and go explore Disney Springs. I would have no problem recommending the food options if you happen to be staying there.View attachment 622844
We arrived in Orlando at 5pm to a total downpour and once we'd spoken to FIL and MIL it was quickly decided that we would ditch our Disney Springs plans for dinner in favor of warmth and rest. John and I checked into the Holiday Inn at Disney Springs (the others joined us the next day), braved the rain to explore the nearby Hilton dining options and then decided to just order from the bar at HI and go relax for the evening. John asked for a fruity drink and got what basically amounted to a tequila sunrise and I went for the same after tasting his. We ordered the steak and salmon respectively and were pleasantly surprised. There was alot of indoor seating adjacent to the bar, we were given a table number and our food was brought to us, served in plastic take away boxes. They were both well cooked and flavorful. John said that while the steak was not the best cut of meat, it tasted quite good and was something he would order again. The salmon was particularly good, though I would not have complained if I'd gotten more sauce (I really enjoyed what was on there). It was skin on and the skin was actually crispy and pleasant. The sides though nothing super special were quite good as well and we went to bed satisfied and ready to wake up and go explore Disney Springs. I would have no problem recommending the food options if you happen to be staying there.View attachment 622844
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The next day we awoke bright and early and headed straight to Shades of Green to pickup a park ticket for Jen. The original plans for this trip had included Jens husband traveling with her and had not included parks for them but since she was now traveling alone and the kids got in free anyways John and I offered to buy her a ticket. While at SOG John and I checked out the resort some and the breakfast buffet at Garden Gallery. John was pleased with selection of breakfast meats and I found plenty to eat. The fruit was extremely fresh and perfectly ripe and the blueberry scones were the best I've had. I only got one picture here. The mickey waffles with strawberry compote. They look a bit gory, lol but the regular one was really good. The darker one was supposed to be chocolate but tasted slightly burnt to me. All in all, other than the chocolate waffle, this a pretty good breakfast for the price (around $33 before tip for the two of us.) If your military and stopping by for another reason I'd recommend it. This was also our only full breakfast of the trip as I'd ordered cereal, granola bars and fruit from Walmart for the room, along with bottled water, juice boxes and soda.
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Welcome. Thanks for stopping by. I hope you enjoy it.
After our trip to Shades of Green we headed to Disney Springs for shopping and lunch. As soon as I'd heard we'd be down a few cast members I'd changed our Planet Hollywood reservation for 5 to a reservation at The Boathouse for two. We arrived and were seated rather quickly but the location of our table, a two top right next to a doorway for another dining room, left something to be desired. Still I'd been excited to try this place so we didn't let it get us down. We ordered drinks. I don't remember what John got (something fruity probably) but I got a glass of Moscato. John excused himself and while he was gone they brought the bread which smelled lovely but immediately warned me I couldn't eat it. Once informed of my cinnamon allergy they offered to take it but I figured I could deal with it pushed to Johns side and asked if they could bring rolls without the cinnamon drizzle. They did and they also sent out a chef to speak to me before I ordered which I always appreciate even if I'm pretty sure what I want is fine. We ordered a half dozen oysters on the half shell and then John and I each got an appetizer and shared a couple of their sides, which were very large. This was more than enough food for us. He got the shrimp and I got the lobster bisque. We shared the sweet potato with plain butter instead of cinnamon butter and asparagus with hollandaise. A few of the oysters were a bit grainy, honestly, and John got a piece of shell but things instantly got better with the rest of the food. John said the shrimp were great. The lobster bisque was extremely flavorful but I only found a little bit of lobster meat in it, though I still enjoyed it. The sweet potato was a well cooked sweet potato which we both love. The asparagus was well cooked and the hollandaise, which they forgot to put on at first but quickly remedied, was lovely, smooth, rich and creamy. I have a thing for sauces if you can't tell. Also I apologize but we forgot to take pictures of the oysters and we did take a couple bites of the rest (mostly noticeable with Johns shrimp) before we remembered the photos.
The cinnamon bread
My plain bread
This was a bit of a mixed bag for us. The oysters and our table didn't quite meet expectations. The bread was unremarkable no matter which one you tried and we both left most of it, but the apps were good, we loved our server and thoroughly appreciated the thorough chef. I met with a few and he was the best. We'd go back but probably skip the oysters and ask not to be seated where we were.
The cinnamon bread
My plain bread
This was a bit of a mixed bag for us. The oysters and our table didn't quite meet expectations. The bread was unremarkable no matter which one you tried and we both left most of it, but the apps were good, we loved our server and thoroughly appreciated the thorough chef. I met with a few and he was the best. We'd go back but probably skip the oysters and ask not to be seated where we were.
And this is where my picture taking goes down hill for a couple meals so please bare with me.
After our lunch we did some shopping and then headed back to the hotel to meet up with the kids. We tossed around some ideas for dinner, but it was too cold and dark for our original plans of checking out AoA and then eating at Landscape of flavors like we had planned and the baby's were a bit grumpy from their long day of travel so we stayed at the hotel and did dinner there again. Jen and I both got the salmon and she enjoyed it as much as I did. I was going to get the beyond burger but as soon as Jen ordered the salmon I wanted it again. Jonnie checked out Johns fruity drink and didn't like it but he was happy with a rum and coke. He and John both got burgers which they ate and were happy with. Once again this seemed to work well for a stay in option.
After our lunch we did some shopping and then headed back to the hotel to meet up with the kids. We tossed around some ideas for dinner, but it was too cold and dark for our original plans of checking out AoA and then eating at Landscape of flavors like we had planned and the baby's were a bit grumpy from their long day of travel so we stayed at the hotel and did dinner there again. Jen and I both got the salmon and she enjoyed it as much as I did. I was going to get the beyond burger but as soon as Jen ordered the salmon I wanted it again. Jonnie checked out Johns fruity drink and didn't like it but he was happy with a rum and coke. He and John both got burgers which they ate and were happy with. Once again this seemed to work well for a stay in option.
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The next day was a big day. Our plans had been to take a shuttle to Cocoa Beach for the day but given the weather we switched to Magic Kingdom for the day. D had been waiting to go see Mickey. He had been calling him for weeks on his toy phone telling him Baba said we were going to Mickeys House so he was all ready for this. We had breakfast in the room and headed for MK. After a long wait to get DAS passes figured out and watching the characters at the front of the park we headed to this place for an early lunch.
I dropped the ball here on pictures once again but I met with a very informative chef who went through everything item by item. We enjoyed this meal quite a lot and we didnt find any food we didn't enjoy. The roast beef, chilled shrimp and crab claw and the smores dessert particularly stood out as favorites. I will say that though there were a lot of buffet items I was told I could get my meal felt slightly limited as a lot of them were salad bar items and I really only had one entree, the fish, available but I'm fairly used to that and got plenty of good food to eat so it was fine.
I dropped the ball here on pictures once again but I met with a very informative chef who went through everything item by item. We enjoyed this meal quite a lot and we didnt find any food we didn't enjoy. The roast beef, chilled shrimp and crab claw and the smores dessert particularly stood out as favorites. I will say that though there were a lot of buffet items I was told I could get my meal felt slightly limited as a lot of them were salad bar items and I really only had one entree, the fish, available but I'm fairly used to that and got plenty of good food to eat so it was fine.
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After a fairly eventful day full of lots of shopping, rides cavalcades and new experiences we started to realize the kids (and adults) weren't up to waiting for an 8:30 dinner reservation at Skipper Canteen so we canceled in favor our favorite QS. Columbia Harbour House. Sadly this didn't live up to our memories of it this time around, though I blame it on us arriving right before closing even though we did mobile order before. We had a few issues getting the wrong food and also with some cold items that weren't supposed to be cold. Jonnie got the salmon and ended up with the wrong sides. Jenna got the combo with fish and shrimp and cold fries. John and I got the lobster roll, fries and clam chowder. It was all edible with the lobster rolls and clam chowder being the standouts, but nowhere near what I remembered. I'd definitely be willing to try it again especially earlier in the day. One more stop to see Mickey on or way out and we were headed back to the hotel for much needed rest.
We awoke this day to beautiful sunshine and D asking for Mickey, lol. After trying to explain what the beach meant several times we boarded or Cocoa Beach shuttle for the trip. After spending a couple hours playing in the cold waves and learning how to bury himself in the sand D was asking to eat so we headed up to the pier for lunch at Pelicans bar and grill. This was my view from our table. 
We really enjoyed our lunch here and I actually got a few pictures even though it's not Disney food.
Jen ordered the Buffalo wings. D got the hot dog off the kids menu which we had to ask about as we didnt see kids options. John and Jonnie both got the fish and chips
And I opted for the Tuna Poke with a side of the potato wedges.
We were more impressed with the fish options than the chicken, but nothing was bad. The guys loved their fish and chips and my tuna was fresh and fabulous. D loved his hot dog and Jen did enjoy her chicken wings but liked what she tried of ours better. All in all though this was a good beach lunch.
We really enjoyed our lunch here and I actually got a few pictures even though it's not Disney food.
Jen ordered the Buffalo wings. D got the hot dog off the kids menu which we had to ask about as we didnt see kids options. John and Jonnie both got the fish and chips
And I opted for the Tuna Poke with a side of the potato wedges.
We were more impressed with the fish options than the chicken, but nothing was bad. The guys loved their fish and chips and my tuna was fresh and fabulous. D loved his hot dog and Jen did enjoy her chicken wings but liked what she tried of ours better. All in all though this was a good beach lunch.
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After getting back to the hotel it was time for dinner and I'd made reservation at Planet Hollywood. This ended up being one we would skip in the future. The atmosphere was cool but the food was a bit lackluster for the price and just didn't wow us.
Jen ordered the lasagna which she thought was decent again not wow but decent. The others who tried it were less impressed.
D got the kids spaghetti which was a huge portion and fairly good according to Jen and John but unfortunately he was so hungry he got a bite before it was completely cool and refused to eat it declaring it an owey.
John and Jonnie both got the mac and cheese burger which both described as nothing special.
I got the Strawberry Fields salad which had a lot of good ingredients but was overdressed and a little off putting because of it.
I also got a side of garlic mashed potat which I thought were good for the couple bites I got but because of the spaghetti issues D ate most of them.
All in all this meal fed us but was underwhelming and there's just too many good choices at Disney to make this a choice again in the near future.
Jen ordered the lasagna which she thought was decent again not wow but decent. The others who tried it were less impressed.
D got the kids spaghetti which was a huge portion and fairly good according to Jen and John but unfortunately he was so hungry he got a bite before it was completely cool and refused to eat it declaring it an owey.
John and Jonnie both got the mac and cheese burger which both described as nothing special.
I got the Strawberry Fields salad which had a lot of good ingredients but was overdressed and a little off putting because of it.
I also got a side of garlic mashed potat which I thought were good for the couple bites I got but because of the spaghetti issues D ate most of them.
All in all this meal fed us but was underwhelming and there's just too many good choices at Disney to make this a choice again in the near future.
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The next morning started early with getting ready to get Jen and the boys to the airport. The plan was for me to accompany her to the airport and then meet the guys and my MIL and FIL at Hollywood Studios. That was the plan but the morning turned into a comedy of errors. John and Jonnie got to the park and made their Ogas reservation. The only picture we have from there is this
The Bloody Rancor with rancor bone.
My FIL and John both ordered this and liked it but it was spicier than they expected.
Jonnie got the Jedi Mind Trick and The Jet Juice. He liked both but did say the Jet Juice was best sipped.
The Bloody Rancor with rancor bone.
My FIL and John both ordered this and liked it but it was spicier than they expected.
Jonnie got the Jedi Mind Trick and The Jet Juice. He liked both but did say the Jet Juice was best sipped.
Unfortunately my crazy morning of mis steps, getting lost, missing busses etc. meant that I missed my Brown Derby reservations with MIL and by the time I got to HS everyone was already having lunch and not at Docking Bay 7 like we had planned. They went to ABC commissary to fuel up and I only saw the remnants of their meals afterwards. The only commentary I got on this was from John and Jonnie who were not impressed. I was hungry but my MIL was wanting to see Beauty and the Beast after that we wandered and I saw a short line at Dockside Diner. I got the smoked fish dip and really enjoyed it. I'd happily get it again but unfortunately I didn't get a pic.
After our Day at HS we headed to Yacht Club for the meal we had been waiting for, Ale and Compass. We started with...
The Parker house rolls and spreads. The rolls were good but the spreads were great. I particularly loved the pimento cheese and though I couldn't try it, the guys raved about the bacon jam.
Next our entrees
I ordered the seafood pot pie which was absolutely delectable. I finished all of it and sopped up the last of the sauce with a roll.
John and Jonnie ordered the steak. Jonnie loved it. John liked it but I think the way I'd hyped it up based on reviews I'd read had him expecting something that would wow him and it didn't quite meet that, though he did like it and he enjoyed the peppery taste of the salad with the steak and the crispness of the fries. He was also surprised because he usually doesn't like truffle fries but he thought these were great.
We shared the chocolate cake and all loved it.
All in all this was a great meal at a really good price.
The Parker house rolls and spreads. The rolls were good but the spreads were great. I particularly loved the pimento cheese and though I couldn't try it, the guys raved about the bacon jam.
Next our entrees
I ordered the seafood pot pie which was absolutely delectable. I finished all of it and sopped up the last of the sauce with a roll.
John and Jonnie ordered the steak. Jonnie loved it. John liked it but I think the way I'd hyped it up based on reviews I'd read had him expecting something that would wow him and it didn't quite meet that, though he did like it and he enjoyed the peppery taste of the salad with the steak and the crispness of the fries. He was also surprised because he usually doesn't like truffle fries but he thought these were great.
We shared the chocolate cake and all loved it.
All in all this was a great meal at a really good price.
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We started our Epcot day exhausted so we knew we were looking for coffee. After a ride on soarin we headed to France, more specifically Les Halles. We all decided a pastry breakfast sounded good with our coffee so we tried these gems.
Jonnie really liked this. He said it was rich and chocolatey and went well with his cappuccino.
Jonnie got one of these and John and I shared the other one along with a few other treats. Jonnie liked this and thought it was a good way to finish his "meal". He was looking for refreshing and fruity after all that chocolate and this fit the bill.
I loved the filling but thought the merangue could have been slightly lighter but it was good.
This was the second treat John and I tried. We liked it. It wasn't overly sweet with a pastry that was more bready than cakey and a thick cream. We were both surprised by the citrus taste to the icing but we liked it.
This was the winner for me, but it would have had to be seriously messed up not to be. I love Creme Brulee and this was smooth, rich and creamy just like it was supposed to be. I'm absolutely looking forward to my next visit here.
Jonnie really liked this. He said it was rich and chocolatey and went well with his cappuccino.
Jonnie got one of these and John and I shared the other one along with a few other treats. Jonnie liked this and thought it was a good way to finish his "meal". He was looking for refreshing and fruity after all that chocolate and this fit the bill.
I loved the filling but thought the merangue could have been slightly lighter but it was good.
This was the second treat John and I tried. We liked it. It wasn't overly sweet with a pastry that was more bready than cakey and a thick cream. We were both surprised by the citrus taste to the icing but we liked it.
This was the winner for me, but it would have had to be seriously messed up not to be. I love Creme Brulee and this was smooth, rich and creamy just like it was supposed to be. I'm absolutely looking forward to my next visit here.
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After a little more exploring it started raining. It seemed like a good time for lunch and there were a few good covered tables in Japan so we decided to hang out for awhile and eat at Katsura Grill. We each got a few things here.
Jonnie and I both got the Tempura Shrimp Udon which we both liked. Especially considering it was QS. It was warm the broth was flavorful and the shrimp were cooked well.
Jonnie also got some Edamame. These were edamame. I don't have a picture but the portion size was good and I didn't hear any complaints
I also got a California roll which was better than grocery store sushi but not up to par with my favorite sushi restaurant. In other words good and better than I expected.
John got the shrimp and chicken teriyaki which he really liked.
He also got the combination sushi platter. He said the same thing as I did. It was good he liked it.
We loved Japan and Katsura Grill was a good QS option. It was a nice place to hang out on a rainy afternoon especially because our table ended up staying pretty dry (not all of the ones around us did) The garden was pretty and as you can see we had a nice view.
Jonnie and I both got the Tempura Shrimp Udon which we both liked. Especially considering it was QS. It was warm the broth was flavorful and the shrimp were cooked well.
Jonnie also got some Edamame. These were edamame. I don't have a picture but the portion size was good and I didn't hear any complaints
I also got a California roll which was better than grocery store sushi but not up to par with my favorite sushi restaurant. In other words good and better than I expected.
John got the shrimp and chicken teriyaki which he really liked.
He also got the combination sushi platter. He said the same thing as I did. It was good he liked it.
We loved Japan and Katsura Grill was a good QS option. It was a nice place to hang out on a rainy afternoon especially because our table ended up staying pretty dry (not all of the ones around us did) The garden was pretty and as you can see we had a nice view.
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We sat in Japan for almost two hours chatting, eating and waiting for the rain to let up. It never did and we finally decided to just brave the rain which got pretty miserable pretty quick. Jonnie tried a few food and wine booths. I joined him for a beyond burger slider that was probably one of the best things I ate all week but soon we realized we weren't enjoying ourselves much. We ditched our lighting lane passes for Remys at 7:30 and found a walk in at Corral Reef to eat and warm up before waiting for the bus to our hotel. 
Jonnie got the shrimp and grits which he really liked and they brought him a free birthday dessert.
I was cold. Really really cold so I got soup
But not just one bowl two. I really wanted to try a few things and I was super excited that they had two soups I could eat. I love soup but often there's a meat broth base at restaurants. I liked both of these. The lobster bisque was good (not quite as good as boathouse, but good) and the mushoom ciopino was unique, smoky and spicy. I was glad I had both though, because the bisque was great for cooling my mouth off when the mushroom got too hot.John got the chicken with seasonal vegetables which he declared his best meal of the week, moist flavorful buttery goodness, but sadly no pic.
I'd been wanting to try Corral Reef for awhile and I was not disappointed. There are a lot of restaurants I want to try at Epcot but I would go back to this one.
Jonnie got the shrimp and grits which he really liked and they brought him a free birthday dessert.
I was cold. Really really cold so I got soup
But not just one bowl two. I really wanted to try a few things and I was super excited that they had two soups I could eat. I love soup but often there's a meat broth base at restaurants. I liked both of these. The lobster bisque was good (not quite as good as boathouse, but good) and the mushoom ciopino was unique, smoky and spicy. I was glad I had both though, because the bisque was great for cooling my mouth off when the mushroom got too hot.John got the chicken with seasonal vegetables which he declared his best meal of the week, moist flavorful buttery goodness, but sadly no pic.
I'd been wanting to try Corral Reef for awhile and I was not disappointed. There are a lot of restaurants I want to try at Epcot but I would go back to this one.
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