Fall fun in the World- a few pics, and a lot of opinions!

[mousekatool]

Hello, fellow Dis'ers! After our most recent trip, I decided I would write up a dining review, since your reviews have been most helpful to me in planning our trips. I promise to try and see this one through to the end, and not leave you hanging like my trip report ...

Our cast of characters is me, my DH, DD8 and DS6. The kids are for the most part good eaters, and they even surprised me by trying some new things this go-around. We did not have the DDP. I was able to get a RO discount, and we like the flexibility of being able to eat appetizers, share meals, etc., so it was not a big deal to us to not have it. Just for fun and frolic, though, I may try to break down the costs of OOP vs DDP at the end to see how it shakes out. We ate a lot of TS meals, and hit F&W booths, too, so we didn't go hungry! One caveat about my review- my DH hates when I take food pictures, so there aren't many. But, you will get my honest opinions and descriptions. Now, without further ado....here we go!

 

[mousekatool]

After several disastrous attempts to drive from NC to Disney and still make a scheduled ADR for dinner, I decided to forego any specific plans for tonight. We made it safely to the Contemporary, and after unpacking and chilling for a bit, we decided to hit the Contempo Cafe for dinner.

This is one place I always hear vague good things about, but never any specifics, so I wasn't sure what to expect. The two things I was sure about were 1) you have to place your order at the kiosk, then pay for it before they will prepare it, and 2) I wanted the marinated beef and goat cheese flatbread I had read about. We proceeded to the kiosk, where I realized that they no longer have that flatbread on the menu. I was so distraught trying to explain this heartbreaking finding to my DH that I inadvertently put my arm around someone else's little blonde kid, while mine laughed his head off at my mistake and the kid's mom glared daggers into me. Strike 2. But, I shook off my disappointment and embarrassment, because I had a backup plan- the Spice-crusted Mahi Sandwich with Creamy Coleslaw and Spicy Tartar Sauce on a Focaccia Roll with House-made Chips. DH chose the Italian Stacked Sandwich - Ham, Turkey, Salami, Cheddar, Provolone, Lettuce, Tomato, Red Onions, and Sun-dried Tomato Spread with House-made Chips, while DD got a kid's burger basket with fries and a cookie and DS got the kids' cheese pizza with chocolate pudding and apple slices.

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DH deemed this his least favorite meal of the trip. His bread was quite chewy, and there was very little meat on the sandwich. It did taste ok, but he felt that it was a poor value for the money. Mine, on the other hand, was outstanding. The fish hung off the bun, it was so large, and the spices were just right. It had an ample amount of tartar sauce and the slaw helped tame the bite of the spices. The chips were nice and crispy, but I wished we had gotten some ranch for dipping. The kids were happy with their selections. Overall, I would go back to this place, especially if I stayed on the monorail.

 

[mousekatool]

We awoke early this morning and walked over to the MK for an 8:00 ADR at Crystal Palace. This was our first time dining here, and I was so excited to get into the park early! After taking tons of pictures on a nearly empty Main Street, we checked in, and soon were shown to our table. We hustled to the buffet to fill our plates and our server assured us we had plenty of time before the characters came by. Unfortunately, despite our hurrying, we missed Eeyore. But, we recovered quickly, as we had plates brimming with all kinds of breakfasty goodness to devour! The buffet was well stocked and everything was hot and fresh. I had lots of yummies, but my favorites were the Mickey waffles, which were so crisp on the outside and tender inside, topped with strawberries and whipped cream. I also loved the Pooh's Puffed French Toast. The breakfast lasagna I had read so much about was really good, but soooooo rich! I could only eat a few bites. I also think I had bacon, scrambled eggs, and some fruit. The kids' plates were similar to mine, and DH went for the more hearty items like the hash, potatoes, and sausage links.

We loved this meal! The food was delicious, and the character interaction was well worth it. We could have waited for Eeyore to come back around, but we decided to head on out, as the park was opening, but everyone was fine with that. We are not usually big breakfast eaters, but I would definitely do this meal again.

We had a great morning of touring, and were so full from breakfast, we didn't want a huge lunch. We finally decided to hit Cosmic Ray's for some sandwiches. DS and I shared an Angus Bacon Cheeseburger with apples, and DH and DD shared a Chicken Sandwich with fries. This proved to be the perfect amount of food, once we had decorated the sandwiches with items from the toppings bar. Both sandwiches were good, but typical theme park fare, nothing special. And that's okay sometimes.

 

[mousekatool]

Later that evening, we headed to Epcot for dinner at San Angel Inn. I had eaten here last in 1985-ish on a high school band trip, and our family had eaten at La Hacienda on a previous visit, so we were all anxious to try the "restaurant in the pyramid". We checked in and only waited a few minutes before being seated. We didn't have a water view table, but it was still a nice location. It was dark and cool inside, but none of us had issues with being able to read the menus, as I have read in other reports.

Now, this place tends to get a lot of iffy reviews, but we liked it. The chips were crispy and well seasoned, and the salsa was very good (but our whole family likes spicy). I ordered the Pollo A Las Rajas - grilled chicken breast served over red peppers, onion strips, cream sauce, and fresh cheese. This was really good, and almost more than I could eat. The chicken was tender and flavorful, and the sauce was very tasty.

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DH had the Mole Poblano - Grilled chicken breast served over a bed of poblano rice, with the classic mole, made with nuts, spices, chilies and a hint of cocoa. He really enjoyed it, and the bite I tasted was very good.

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The kids' meals were one thing I never saw reviewed on here, so I wasn't sure what to expect. Our kids don't have huge appetites, so I was thinking they might be able to share a meal. Luckily, I asked the server to describe the sizes before I ordered, because the quesadillas were tiny! So they each got their own, and all was well.

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Overall, we thought the food here was good. I will say that we liked La Hacienda better, but I would return to San Angel. The atmosphere was lovely, and next time I hope to try one of those famous margaritas!

 

[tluvstink]

You're off to a great start! Oh I understand about not taking food pics because my family doesn't like it either

Terri

 

[mousekatool]

This day was the first time in our 3 trips that I attempted a lunchtime ADR, or 2 ADRs in one day. I thought the kids would really dig the Sci-Fi Dine In, and since we would be visiting DHS in the heat of September, I figured it would provide a nice place to cool off and enjoy some food and atmosphere.

Well, all that was well and good, but it was also our first time signing up for Jedi Training Academy. I relied on the cast member's advice when we chose a time, and he assured me that we would have plenty of time to make our 12:00 ADR and get back for JTA for the 1:05 show. What he neglected to factor in was that we would need to be back for the kids to get their robes, etc. by 12:50, and that the wait for us to be seated at Sci-Fi would take nearly 20 minutes! So despite the fact that we arrived early, we weren't seated until almost 12:20. We literally ordered, scarfed our food, and bolted in 20 minutes. All I can say is thank God for our server. We explained our situation, and she got our order in pronto, as well as letting us pay as soon as our food was delivered.

I have to admit, I was so stressed about making it back on time that I didn't get much enjoyment out of this meal at all. (This seemed to be a theme of sorts of the trip for me- FP+, for all its good, does force you to hurry to keep those times, and that takes a lot of the relaxation out of it for me. Getting off soapbox now....) That said, the food was fine. I had a Reuben with the cucumber salad, DH had the Angus Burger, and both kids had the popcorn chicken, and all of our meals were tasty. The Reuben had a sizable portion of meat, and tasted more toasted than grilled, as I find most Reubens to be prepared. Nevertheless, it wasn't greasy, but I inhaled it so fast I couldn't really comment further.

Lesson learned- don't plan a lunchtime ADR if you have anything else scheduled. If we do the post-lunch JTA again, we'll just get Backlot Express and be done with it. The kids were oblivious to all the grown up turmoil, though, and they enjoyed the movie clips a lot. We will definitely go back when we have time to really savor the atmosphere.

 

[mousekatool]

Tonight was DH's and my favorite meal of the trip- Biergarten. Last year was our first time eating here, and he made me promise that if we planned another trip, I would make sure to get an ADR.

If you've never been, it's very family friendly and the entertainment is so much fun. My kids had a blast singing and dancing with the band, and there is really something on the buffet for everyone. The food is traditional German, but there are plenty of dishes even a picky eater would enjoy. I must have tried one of everything, and my favorite dish was last time, and still is, the braised red cabbage. I also really enjoyed the rouladen, the schnitzel, and the spaetzle. And dear Lord, I could eat a vat of the beer cheese soup with the pretzel rolls! I much preferred their version to the Le Cellier version- I know that makes me a heretic, but sorry, I'm not sorry. My DH is a meat eater, and his favorite dish both times was the tomato salad! It is soooo good! (But I know the real reason he likes this place- the half-liter German beers!) The kids ate roasted chicken, roasted potatoes, noodle gratin, salad, and sausages. As if all that wasn't enough, we had apple strudel with vanilla sauce and Bavarian cheesecake for dessert!
I think that no matter how many trips we make to the World, we will find time to eat at Biergarten.

 

[mousekatool]

We hit Epcot at rope drop and had a great morning of touring. I had not planned an ADR for lunch, so we returned to Sunshine Seasons, which we had enjoyed last trip.

I decided to try the Oriental bar, and ended up getting the Mongolian Beef with fried rice. I wish I could say I loved this, but it was just meh for me. I love this dish from our local Chinese restaurant, but this honestly tasted like a Lean Cuisine to me. It was not at all spicy, as is most Mongolian Beef, and it was quite salty. The meat was kind of tough, and I actually ate more of the rice than anything else. It wasn't bad, just not what I had expected. I should have gone with my gut and gotten the amazing roasted beet and goat cheese salad I had last time.

DH had the Turkey Foccacia sandwich with potato salad, and although he had low expectations, he thought it was a really good sandwich. The portion was huge, too- enough for him, but probably the kids and I could have split it.

Both kids had the Pizza Panini with mashed potatoes and grapes. The menu lists the sides as grapes and carrots, but they were allowed to choose from any of the sides, including roasted potatoes, mac and cheese, etc. This was like a panini grilled cheese with Italian seasoning, and a side of marinara dipping sauce, but they devoured it, so it must have been good.

 

[mousekatool]

This is going to be short, lol.

We had a blast at the party, but we got so busy seeing characters, dancing, trick or treating, and eating candy, that we forgot to eat dinner! My original plan had been to eat an early, pre-party dinner, but everyone vetoed that as our lunch had been about 1:00 and nobody was hungry. So we ended up finding a spot near Casey's Corner to watch the first parade, and sent DH for "takeout". He returned with 2 hot dog combos for himself and DD, and 2 orders of corn dog nuggets for me and DS. Let me tell you, those things really hit the spot! And holy cow- we could have totally split an order of the corn dogs. There were a ton of them, and they were bigger than I had anticipated. But they were crisp and hot out of the fryer, and were oh so good! The fries were also fresh, and we all 4 easily spit 2 orders with fries to spare. I had really wanted to try a pumpkin waffle sundae later, but the corn dog nuggets were so filling, I couldn't eat another bite all night! Guess we'll just have to go again for that!

 

[mousekatool]

After our late night at MNSSHP, we slept in a bit the next morning, and hit Chef Mickey's for a late breakfast. Now, this was not originally on my radar for the trip. We had been to CM's before for dinner, and I was not really impressed, but DD specifically requested it, and since we were already staying at the CR, I figured we might as well, since I have heard that breakfast is better than the other meals. We were seated almost immediately after having our picture (and how great is Memory Maker! No more hard selling of the silly photo, it just magically appears ). We hit the buffet, and although many of the items were the same as at Crystal Palace, DH and I agreed that for some reason, they just weren't as good. The Mickey waffles were kind of mushy, the items on the bar weren't replaced very quickly, and things generally seemed less clean around the buffet. This could have just been the difference between eating there when they first opened and a mid-morning time, but I was a little disappointed in the value for the price. Of course, the kids enjoyed the characters, but I think we will try someplace else next time.

 

[mousekatool]

After a fun day at Animal Kingdom, we chilled at our resort for a bit before hitting the monorail for dinner at 'Ohana. We had stayed at the Poly on our first visit, and it remains my favorite resort, so I was really sad to see all the construction. The loss of the waterfall and the villas blocking the lovely view made me glad we had a chance to stay there in its heyday. We had eaten at 'Ohana and really enjoyed it, but there had been soooo much controversy leading up to our visit, from the loss of the chicken and salad to the addition of the lettuce wraps, that I was really hesitant to keep this ADR. But in the tradition of fine carnivores everywhere, we persevered.

We waited maybe 10 minutes to be seated. The dining area seemed brighter than I remember. We ordered drinks, then the kids went to participate in the hula dance. By the time they got back, the food had started arriving. We started with a loaf of the amazing pineapple coconut bread. This was much better than I remembered. It was piping hot and soft, and we could have probably eaten another....but then came....

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the honey coriander wings and dumplings. These were really tasty. Next came the lettuce wraps. Now, I was a huge fan of the old salad with the honey-lime dressing, but I thought I would try to give the wraps a fair shake. Turned out, I really liked them! The filling had a little kick,and the sauce made them even yummier. I wouldn't say they were better than the salad, but I did like them. Then, the star of the show, the reason we came, the meats. I loved them all this time. Maybe I was lucky and got the perfectly cooked pieces, but my steak was a nice medium, the pork was juicy and the shrimp were awesome. DH did have a few tough pieces of steak, but I had no complaints. I was almost embarrassed at the pile of shrimp shells on my plate, but the majority of them belonged to the kids! They loved those things! In the midst of all the meats, we were brought a platter of noodles and veggies. I think I may have been the only one to even taste any of these and I have to admit, this platter was my least favorite part of the meal. The noodles were greasy and had little flavor, and the veggies just had a strange aftertaste. It was sad, because I really loved the broccoli and noodles we had last time. But there was no time to mourn, because next was my favorite part of the meal.

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This stuff would make the angels sing. The kids were like, no, I just want the kids' cupcake, and I was like, um, you'd better rethink that plan. Turns out, even DH, who doesn't like sweets at all and didn't even try it last time, is totally in love with this stuff. It is like Polynesian crack. Incidentally, our waiter brought them a cupcake, anyway, and they did taste them, but agreed the bread pudding was much better.

So, in summation, we very much enjoyed our meal. I was pleasantly surprised by the lettuce wraps, and didn't even miss the chicken. I adore the pomegranate lemonade, too. If you're on the fence, keep the ADR and give it a shot. As for me, as much as I loved it, I think next time I would just hit the Tambu Lounge, skip the meat and have bread pudding for dinner.

 

[OasterP]

Great review so far! I had the exact same opinion of the Mongolian beef at Sunshine Seasons.

I so wanted to go to Ohana, but I'm pretty sure it's just for that dessert!

 

[elaine amj]

Thanks for your reviews - I enjoyed reading

 

[mousekatool]

Not sure what's up with my photos...I'm at work now, but I'll check it out once I get home. Since you only get a few pictures, you should at least be able to see them!

Edited to add: I can see them on my computer at home, but not on my ipad...are they showing up for everyone else?

 

[mousekatool]

We started our morning at Epcot in hopes that Food and Wine booths would indeed have a "soft opening" so that we could try some of the items before the grand opening crowds hit. We hit World Showcase when it opened, and although the first several booths had cast members milling about, they were not open for business. We weren't sure if that meant they wouldn't open at all today or not, so we went ahead with our plan to casually hit some things we hadn't done before in WS. We made it through Canada and England, and by the time we got to France, the F&W booths were open for business! I think for the sake of simplicity, I'll just list the booths and items we sampled, and our takes on them.

France: Bouef Bourguignon -I really expected more from this dish, but it was pretty bland. The cut of meat was tough, and almost no seasoning. The potatoes were good, though. All in all, it just tasted like plain old Southern stew beef and mashed potatoes.
Creme Brulee: We all loved this! It was creamy and sweet, and the caramelized sugar was a nice crunchy counterpoint. It was also a large portion. DD's favorite sweet item.

Brazil: Moqueca de Pescado – Regal Springs Fresh Tilapia featuring Coconut Lime Sauce and Steamed Rice. This was light and flavorful.
Cocadas – Brazilian coconut candy - this was soooo sweet and rich, but we loved it!

Belgium: Belgian Waffle with Warm Chocolate Ganache and Whipped Cream. Yum. The waffle was crisp on the outside and light and airy on the inside. DS barely let anyone else have a bite! His favorite sweet item.

Morocco: Kefta pocket: Ground seasoned beef in a pita pocket - this had a lot of flavor. Even the kids liked it.

Hops and Barley: Florida grass fed beef slider with pimento cheese - we enjoyed this. The meat could have been cooked a little less well done, but the pimiento cheese was spicy and melty, and there were chopped onions on top, so made it less dry than it could have been.
I will note that DH got an Oktoberfest beer here, and was really disappointed to note the size of the pour for the money!

We also had an American Dream while we were waiting for the Voices of Liberty to perform, and it was a very refreshing way to combat the heat.

I wish we hadn't scheduled a dinner ADR at DHS for early afternoon so we could have kept sampling the offerings at F&W. We did come back on Friday evening, but the day was so gorgeous and the crowds were so low, it was the perfect time to be here.

 

[mousekatool]

DD had but one request for our trip, and that was to eat at 50's Prime Time again. We had so much fun last year. Our "cousin" was a hoot, and kept the shenanigans fun. Plus, the food was sooo good!

Well, our experience this time was a little different. We checked in and were given a pager. After a few minutes, we heard our names called, but the pager didn't go off. We walked to the hostess stand, where a very grumpy server was handing four menus back to the hostess, saying, "The X family isn't here- go on to the next group." Um, yeah, we're standing right here! The hostess had to yell at her to come back to seat us, because she had already taken off! Then, she acted miffed that she had to seat us. Fortunately, she was NOT our server. Unfortunately, our server spent the majority of the time we were there trying to explain the menu to the Francophone Canadians who were seated next to us. I kid you not, he must have spent 15 minutes trying to describe grits to them. He even found another server who spoke French to try to translate. Finally, he got our order, but seemed so rushed the whole time, like he couldn't be bothered to "cut up" with us.

We already knew what we were having- fried chicken! Now, I am from the South, and this chicken is some good chicken. It is fried crispy, but not greasy, and you get a metric ton of it- like literally a half chicken. This is fine if you're DH and can eat your body weight, but it's way too much food for little shrimps like me. So DD and I decided to split an order. I had read that a kids' portion is available, just not listed on the menu, but I figured sharing would work out best for us. It comes with mashed potatoes and gravy and collard greens. I ended up eating most of the greens, since DD prefers the potatoes. The greens could've used a little more seasoning and some vinegar on top, in true Southern style, but our server was so harried, I hated to bother him. The one time he even showed some personality was when he came to clear our dishes and saw that I had literally 1 bite of collards left on my plate. He proceeded to cover it with whipped cream and made me eat it before he took the plate! At least I'm a good sport and can eat anything, otherwise, that could've been pretty bad! DS had mac and cheese, which he enjoyed. And last, but not least, I decided since we were saving money by drinking water (and I was saving calories by drinking water and sharing a meal), that I would try the peanut butter and jelly shake I have read so much about. Whoa mama!! Where has this thing been all my life?? It was like a liquid Reese's cup. And it was ginormous, so we all split it. But mostly me. Note to self: Always, always, always save room for this!

Our overall experience was good. The food was excellent. The service was good, but almost no antics, and the deal at the hostess stand still has me shaking my head. But we will come back. It's worth it for just the chicken and shake.

 

[mousekatool]

Our final day in the World had arrived. We had been to BoG last year for dinner and enjoyed it, but I didn't really want to do dinner there again. So when I got my FP invite, I thought it would be a perfect place to cool down and enjoy a different menu for lunch.

Once our window opened, we presented ourselves to the outdoor FP stand (to the glares of those waiting standby) and were immediately sent across the bridge. Once inside, I expected to order at a kiosk, but after looking at the menus, a cast member took our orders at a register. I had planned to order the kids' portion of the braised pork, but I was so intimidated by our CM, and out of sorts that we didn't get to input our own order, that I ordered the regular adult size instead.

The braised pork gets a lot of love on the boards, and i did enjoy it very much. The portion was large- definitely more than I could eat. The meat was a little dry, but the sauce was tasty. The potatoes were good, and the green beans were perfectly steamed. DH had the roast beef sandwich with pommes frites. He thought it was good, but liked the turkey from Sunshine Seasons better. DD had the kids' macaroni with marina. She enjoyed it, but we thought it was weird that the pasta, marinara, and cheese all came in separate dishes that you mix yourself. I guess that's in case a kid likes plain pasta? DS had the grilled cheese with tomato soup and peach applesauce. The sandwich was cut into strips, I guess for dipping. He ate it all up, but didn't care for the applesauce. His sister ate it, instead.

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We saved the best for last....dessert!! We aren't usually dessert eaters, but we loved the cupcakes so much last time that we had to have them again. I stuck with the tried and true strawberry cream cheese, and it was just as dreamy as I remember. The cake was moist and the icing not too sickly sweet. DD vacillated between the strawberry and the lemon, which she loved before, but gave in to temptation and had the strawberry, too. DS had the "Grey Stuff", and pronounced it delicious! I tasted it, and I liked it, but I couldn't pass up the strawberry.

We thought the lunch here was a nice change from regular "fast food" type CS meals, but since we've sort of been-there-done-that, we'll probably try somewhere else next time. I do wish you could just get the cupcakes to go!

 

[mousekatool]

As we left MK, it was beginning to drizzle. My plan had been to wing it for dinner, maybe hit Epcot and the rest of the F&W booths. We went back to the resort to rest and see what happened with the weather. We had been so lucky our whole trip and missed out on the rain showers that Florida in the fall is noted for having, but tonight there was a front moving in, and despite our hopes of a warm, dry night, it continued to drizzle. So we decided to don our trusty ponchos (may as well get our money's worth out of them, right?) and head over to Epcot anyway.

I was a little concerned about the crowd since it was opening night for F&W. I had imagined it being packed, and not particularly family friendly, but the one good thing about the rain was that it must have kept the locals away. None of the booths had lines for food, and we usually were able to find a table to stand and eat. The rain did make eating a little more challenging, but we soldiered along. We started on the opposite side of WS, and here is what we sampled:

Mexico- Shrimp taco: Fried shrimp, pickled habanero pepper and onions on a flour tortilla, and Rib eye taco: Marinated rib eye, roasted chipotle salsa and grilled scallions on a corn tortilla. We loved both of these! The shrimp were crispy, and there was a nice sauce on top. The salsa on the steak taco was nice and smoky/spicy. DS declared this booth the overall winner.

China - Mongolian Beef in Steamed Bun with Chili Mayo - this was my choice, and we all really liked it. The texture of the soft bun juxtaposed with the crunchy wonton strips was really nice, and the beef tasted like what I had expected from Sunshine Seasons earlier in the week.
Black Pepper Shrimp with Sichaun Noodles - DH chose this dish, and again, we all enjoyed it. I only got a bite of the noodles, but he said the shrimp was well seasoned and not overcooked.
Chicken Potstickers- this was DD's choice, and again, we all thought they were tasty. Reminiscent of what you'd get from your local Chinese place, but with a duck sauce type dipping sauce. China was DD's overall favorite booth.

Africa -Beef Tenderloin Tips Berbere Style with Okra, Jalapeños, Tomato, and Pap - this was good and the spices were interesting, but I let DH have most of the meat because I thought it was a little tough.
South African Bobotie with Turkey and Mushrooms - I don't know quite how to describe this. It was almost like a quiche in texture. It was tasty, but I think the mushiness of it was a little odd.

Germany- Roast bratwurst in a pretzel roll- DS ate this almost completely by himself. I tasted it and it was good, but he loved it and devoured it!
Berliner: Yeast doughnut filled with apricot jam - DD ate most of this. It was good, but could have used more filling.

Italy- Ravioli alla caprese: Cheese ravioli, tomato sauce, mozzarella, parmesan and basil- DD and I shared this and thought that while it was good, we have had better at our local Italian restaurant. But it was a large portion, and was hot.
Filetto di pollo, con funghi al marsala: Chicken tenderloin, cremini mushrooms, marsala sauce and ciabatta bread - this was the most disappointing selection I tasted. It was cold, tough, and really tasted like a Lean Cuisine. DD wouldn't eat more than 1 bite, and she loves chicken marsala.
Cannoli al cioccolato: Chocolate-covered cannoli filled with sweet ricotta, chocolate and candied fruit - the cannoli was the best item from this booth, but it was still not as good as our local Italian market from home. The shell was too hard, almost stale.

This is where we stopped because we were stuffed, soaked, and tired, we had made it halfway around, and Illuminations was about to start, so we wanted to head out before we got trapped in the dark. My overall impression of F&W is that it is a fun way to sample foods and beverages from different places. The kids enjoyed getting their passports stamped, and we all liked trying the dishes. We saw a few drunk and rowdies, but again, i think the rain held off a lot of folks who probably would have been there opening night. Some of the food offerings were really good, others not so much. I really wish we had been there 1 more day to hit some of the things we missed- I really wanted to try Hawaii and Greece, maybe some others. But I would definitely go back! It was a really fun way to end our trip.

 

[mousekatool]

We are not big snackers, and the one time we had the DDP, we struggled to use all our snack credits. There were several items, though, that I wanted to try for the first time on this trip. On our first day, we stopped at the Plaza Ice Cream Shop and ordered a chocolate chip ice cream cookie sandwich. I was imagining that this would be the size of the round ice cream sandwiches you get in the grocery store, so I was shocked when they brought this thing out on a regular dinner-sized plate! It was sooooo delicious! The kids and I struggled to finish it, though, and I wondered to myself who these people are who can eat an entire one themselves??

Another item I somehow have missed all these trips is the Dole Whip float, so on our last MK day, we ordered a pineapple juice and pineapple vanilla swirl. Again...how have I lived all this time without eating this?? Many years ago, the owner of the Dole company bought a lot of property in my hometown and revamped it, and he brought in carts that sold the Dole Whip ice cream. I recall loving it, but I had never imagined that the addition of pineapple juice could turn it into something so amazing! I actually attempted to get one last trip, but got tired of waiting in the long line at Aloha Isle. Needless to say, I learned my lesson!

Our snack adventures seemed to revolve around ice cream this trip! As you might recall, we had an American Dream while at Epcot. The other place we stopped, not once, but twice, was L'Artisan Des Glaces. We tried chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, and pumpkin, and all of them were outstanding! DS also had a gelato in Italy that he pronounced yummy.

I was so bummed we never made it to the caramel store in Germany, or the patisserie in France, but it was so hot, nobody had an appetite for snacks. Oh well, I guess that is something to look forward to next time!