Food, food and more food! And lots of pics! COMPLETE!

Great reviews! DH and I will be there in November to celebrate our 10th anniversary, so I look forward to reading the rest of your report!

Thanks, and congratulations! This trip fell over our 11 year anniversary (just by coincidence) and was fun to celebrate at WDW. Definitely get the anniversary pins. All the CMs were so nice and we got lots of anniversary wishes. JJ
 
jayhjay... Just to be super nosey, was it the Gartner conference your hubby was attending? (You don't have to tell me if you don't want to, just curious.) :hippie:
 
jayhjay... Just to be super nosey, was it the Gartner conference your hubby was attending? (You don't have to tell me if you don't want to, just curious.) :hippie:

Not being nosy at all (my whole life is basically on the Internet due to my Dining and pre-trip report!). Yes, he was at Gartner. So basically he had a few things on Sunday, then was in sessions all day Mon-Thurs and had some stuff Friday morning. Did you attend? Or know someone who was there?
 

Beach Club Marketplace

Before I get started on my Sunshine Seasons review, a quick review on my breakfast practically every day this week - yogurt parfait at the Beach Club Marketplace. It is a "make your own" in that you choose the filling and the CM makes it custom for you. The choices include strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, mini chocolate chips, and granola mixed with yogurt (I got everything but the chocolate chips).

This was really delicious. The fruit was fresh, not frozen and thawed. And it was a very refreshing and filling breakfast that made me feel I was somewhat atoning for all the other junk I was eating! Strangely, these were made two different ways during the week - some CMs layered the fruit and yogurt, others put it all in a bowl and mixed it and then dumped it back in the cup. Either way it was delicious. One note is that that yogurt is plain, sweetened with honey. I eat fat free, plain yogurt at home with a little splenda in it so I am used to fairly tart yogurt. But if you like yours really sweet, you may find this too tangy. But I thought it was delicious and ate it at least four times. Cost: $3.79.

As an aside, I was pleasantly surprised by the BC Marketplace. There were a lot of food options, some nice breakfast pastries, make your own salads, sandwiches, etc in addition to packaged food and assorted sundries and gifts.


Sunshine Seasons

This was my first time trying this restaurant as we typically eat CS at the WS when it Epcot. But based on all the great DIS boards reviews I decided to give it a try.

I ordered the chicken caesar salad, the butterfinger brownie, and a diet soda:

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I had asked to get the dressing on the side for the salad but the lettuce and dressing are premixed. Then they add the chicken, croutons, and cheese. I thought this was actually very good. I am sometimes wary of quick service chicken. It can sometimes be grisly, slimy, etc. But this was nicely cooked (served cold if I remember correctly) and good quality. The dressing wasn't overwhelming and I thought the salad was nice and fresh. Nothing amazing, but good and no complaints.

The brownie was supposed to be Butterfinger, but you would need a magnifying glass to tell! It had marshmallows, chocolate drizzle, and a sprinkle of what I assume is crushed up butterfinger. At first I thought it was a s'more brownie based on the marshmallows. Despite the lack of candy, this was pretty good but a little dry. I am picky about my brownies - I need moist and gooey, not dry and cakey. It wasn't bad, but given the large and impressive array of desserts in the tray, I wouldn't order it again.

I will say I was impressed with the restaurant though. In addition to the bakery, soup/salad, asian food, and sandwich lines, they had a ton of quick service food in cases. This included pre-made salads like lentil and chicken salad, sushi, fruit salad, and lots of other stuff. I think anyone could find something here to make them happy. Total cost: 13.61

Overall I was pleased with Sunshine Seasons and would definitely go back. Thanks for all of you who wrote such great reviews!
 
Hurricane Hanna's

After spending the day in Epcot I spent the afternoon at the pool. I had the munchies so I picked up a snack at Hurricane Hanna's. I was really in the mood for a salty snack but there weren't too many options. I ended up with an order of french fries. I was tempted by the frozen (alcoholic) drinks, but in the end choose the Lava Smoothie (non-alcoholic).

The fries were actually better than expected (although I didn't have particularly high hopes). Fairly crispy and met the salty requirement. Not bad for a quick snack. The smoothie was AWFUL! It was supposed to be a mix of pina colada and raspberry, but it was so sweet I could barely choke it down. Really, it was gross. I almost just threw it out but I needed a drink and I had paid for it so I finished it. But never again! Unfortunately no pics as I was at the pool and didn't bring my camera.

One other complaint is that the drink line and the food line are separated even though they are all at one stand. So I had to order the fries, pay, and then walk down to the other end of the counter and order the drink. Sort of a pain I think. Total cost: Fries $1.99 and drink $4.29.

Boma

For dinner that night we headed over to Boma. I had been looking forward to this as our last visit was with the girls and wasn't exactly relaxing. We had kept them out at AK all day and they had napped in the stroller, but by dinner they were crashing and we spent most of the meal doing the "walk and sway" with them. So this year I was excited to sit down and really enjoy my meal.

One problem that I didn't anticipate is how much of a pain it is to get from one resort to another without a car (we have usually rented one). We had a 7:30 ADR and left for the bus stop around 6:15. We caught the bus right away for DTD (we were told this was the fastest route). Then we transferred to AKL. It took us about 45-50 minutes to get there, without having to wait at BC for the bus. By the time we got there I was pretty motion sick (a recurring problem for me all week unfortunately).

We checked in around 7 and waited for 50 minutes to be seated. I know we arrived a half an hour early, but I thought this was quite a big wait. There were tons of families there and everyone seemed to be there for a long time. One woman showed up 20 minutes late for her ADR and was complaining she wasn't seated right away (with a party of 17!). I laughed to DH as she said "I made these reservations last week!" as if that should entitle her to jump the line. I made mine 6 months in advance so I don't want to hear any complaints!

When we were finally seated we ended up in one of the back areas which was quieter and out of the bustle of the main open space. DH got a rum runner which he said was very good, and I had a diet coke. We both got soups, two plates of food, and desserts. DH had the potato soup which was really yummy. I had the seafood gumbo which I wasn't wild about, a little gummy I think. Some highlights from the meal included the potatoes with Afritude (very spicy), the hummus, peanut rice, bobotie, bread pudding, zebra domes and coconut tiramisu.

Overall, I wasn't as wowed with Boma as I had been in the past. The food was good, and there were plenty of options. But I just felt like it was good, not great. And the wait to get in, combined with the difficulty getting there didn't help. With all the other great places at WDW we probably won't come back here for a while. However, I wouldn't discourage anyone from trying it. I certainly think there is plenty for everyone here. Total cost: $62.82 including the drink.

Just to note on they way home we rode the bus to MGM (they were having EMH) and walked back to the BC. This took about 35 minutes and was much more enjoyable. The walk was very pleasant and it was a nice night.

Next up: Day 3 at Flame Tree
 
OMIGOD DH and I just had the same exact meal, right down to fruit for me and fries for him....wasnt the No Way Jose the most delish sundae ever????
 
OMIGOD DH and I just had the same exact meal, right down to fruit for me and fries for him....wasnt the No Way Jose the most delish sundae ever????

Seriously amazing! I have suddenly been on a peanut butter and chocolate kick for the last few months (I think DH was terrified I was pregnant! LOL) So this was right up my alley. I loved the way the peanut butter was like a sauce. So good!
 
Hi everyone! I am now on to Tuesday. This ended up being my AK day as I ate there breakfast, lunch and dinner! Not an easy feat at a place with so few restaurants!

Breakfast

Ok, calling this breakfast is being generous, b/c what I ate was a big honking cinnamon bun which certainly had no redeeming nutritional value. But, oh so good!

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This picture doesn't do it justice b/c you can't tell the size. No exaggeration, it was at least 7 inches across! Very moist, sweet, and everything you could want in a cinnamon roll. DH was so impressed with my picture he got one himself later in the week. Mmm Mmm good. Total: $2.49 at the Safari Coffee stand to the right facing the tree of life at Discovery Island (right near where the rope drop is). They also sell them at the coffee stand outside the turnstiles.

Flame Tree Barbecue

Ok, before I start I will admit I was a Tusker House girl. It was the only CS I ever ate at at AK and I am mourning it greatly. But I had heard great reviews of Flame Tree so I was cautiously optimistic.

Now as you might guess based on the size of that cinnamon roll, I wasn't hungry too soon. I didn't get to Flame Tree until about 12:45 at which point it was quite crowded and I waited in line 15 minutes just to get my food. I also was a little quesy/motion sick from EE so that was a factor too. I looked at the chicken salad and knew I should order it, but for some strange reason I wanted ribs. Now, if I tell you the last time I had ribs was... maybe never? Maybe 15 years ago? I am honestly not sure. So I have NO IDEA what possessed me to get them other than it sounded good. So I ordered the ribs platter (came with corn bread and beans) and the onion rings. I knew I couldn't eat it all, but decided to go for it anyway.

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Well, to start, the ribs were actually pretty good. I am clearly no expert but they were not fatty and tasted good. Pretty bland though. Maybe I am not a dry rub kind of girl. I doused it in BBQ sauce and they tasted good. The beans were awful (in the little mickey cup). They were clearly sitting forever and were like paste. I really like baked beans and took one bite and tossed them. The corn bread muffin also wasn't great. I LOVE cornbread so this should have been right up my alley. I even like sweet cornbread. But this was too much like a sweet muffin - not enough corny taste. I am not explaining it well, but I just picked a bit and tossed the rest. The onion rings were good. Crispy, good flavor, great dipped in the BBQ sauce.

Unfortunately, I left even more queasy (again, probably EE rather than the food) so it didn't leave a great impression. Nothing really wowed me so I am not sure I'd go back unless I tried the salad. Next time I'll probably try Pizzafari or Yak & Yeti. Total cost: $16.16

Dinner

Well, this isn't an official review but I was lucky enough to get a free ticket to the special event hosted at AK that night by DH's conference. They rented out the whole park and had events and food at Asia, Africa, and Dinoland. In past years at other parks they had the CS places open, but since AK has so few, they had catering (I assume Disney's) do the food. We ate in Africa and Dinoland. In Africa they ha a yummy pineapple foster, great hummus and bread, and some nice salads. In Dinoland, they had a burger bar that was yummy. It was really interesting to see how they took over the park for an event like this.

ETA: Ok, I forgot to mention this but the funniest thing happened at the AK party. They served free alcohol and when we arrived they had servers with "bluetinis" as you walk in. Since it was the first drink available, almost everyone took one. Within a few steps we started seeing everyone making faces. They were really gross. Like undrinkable gross. Too strong, too medicinal, I am not sure, but no one liked them. As we rounded the corner, they had a table set out with beer and wine so everyone got rid of their bluetinis. Most folks just threw them away, but about 5 people put them down on the drink table. Then I hear a woman point them out to the guy she was with and say, oh, I want to try one of those. Luckily I stopped her before she reached for it and I told her those were already drank from and that people had left them b/c they were so bad (they were mostly full).

So then the man she is with asks me why they were so bad. I try to explain it to him and he says, maybe he should taste it. So he reaches over, picks up the USED CUP, and DRINKS IT!!! :scared1: I was so shocked I didn't even know what to say! Ok, maybe there was a tiny chance he didn't hear the whole discussion about how they were "pre-tasted" but he was standing right there as I talked to the woman he was with. And she didn't stop him! I must have looked so stunned! Anyway, thought you guys would get a laugh at that! ;)

Next up, Wednesday with the french bakery...
 
For lunch on Wednesday I headed over to Epcot to the french bakery (Boulongerie Patisserie - or something like that!). I am a cheese junkie and had been craving it all week so I decided to order the Cheese Plate, a baguette, a slice of the cake of the day, and a diet soda (the whole diet coke cancels out the chocolate thing didn't really work!)

Here is a picture of the whole thing (sorry, the cake didn't come out well):

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And here is a close up of just the cheese plate:

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Let me say, without a doubt the best CS meal I had all week. First of all the cheese plate was huge. I have no idea what the actual cheeses were (no listing anywhere) but my guess is brie, swiss, and something I'm not sure of but am guessing its in the edam/gouda family. The cheese was delicious. The unidentified one was the best. A little bite and very soft (though firmer than the brie). It was served with a handful of grapes and some lettuce (although the lettuce was just garnish I think). The baguette was good, probably at least 7-8 inches. It was nicely crispy outside and soft inside.

The cake of the day was chocolate. That is all the explanation I got from them. It had several layers and a very light frosting on top and inside. It was really amazing, sweet but not too rich. For those craving it, I think it might be "cake of EVERY day" as it was still there at the end of the week when I went back with DH.

Overall, this was a great meal. Very filling, very yummy. I would get it again in a second. And I got lots of covetous stares as I was eating. Total cost: $12.45 (although I just realized they didn't charge me for the baguette. Not sure if it comes with the cheese plate or the CM just forgot).
 
Loving your reviews so far :thumbsup2 That cheese plate at France looks delicious.

BTW, just for future reference (although you may have already figured this out), it is NEVER quicker to go from resort to resort via DTD - always go via a park. From Beach Club, you would have been as wise to go to Epcot and catch a bus for AKL from there. The trouble with DTD is the buses are quite infrequent and usually call at one of the water parks (TL?) as well.
 
Loving your reviews so far :thumbsup2 That cheese plate at France looks delicious.

BTW, just for future reference (although you may have already figured this out), it is NEVER quicker to go from resort to resort via DTD - always go via a park. From Beach Club, you would have been as wise to go to Epcot and catch a bus for AKL from there. The trouble with DTD is the buses are quite infrequent and usually call at one of the water parks (TL?) as well.

yes, I totally agree. I guess we were worried that walking all the way through Epcot would have taken forever and get us all hot and sweaty. But changing buses was such a pain! Fortunately it was EMH at MGM so we could stop there on the way home. But when we went to Jiko, we took a cab!
 
That cheese plate looks fabulous. I am definitely ordering that for at least one of my CS meals! Thanks again for posting your reviews, love it!
 
That cheese plate looks fabulous. I am definitely ordering that for at least one of my CS meals! Thanks again for posting your reviews, love it!

I second that the Cheese plate looks awesome and is right up my alley!!

Yes, it really was surprisingly good. I think it actually looks as good or better than the one at Chefs which costs more. I think it is one of those hidden gems as most folks wouldn't even think to go to the bakery for it. Glad you enjoyed the pics!
 
wow!

that is one awesome looking cheese plate!

you got a lot on that plate - and large wedges of cheese - excellent!
 
I love their cheese plate (and yes, the bread came with it)! I believe that last cheese is Port Salut and it is my favorite also. :goodvibes
 
I love their cheese plate (and yes, the bread came with it)! I believe that last cheese is Port Salut and it is my favorite also. :goodvibes

Thanks Tarheel Tink for id'ing the cheese. Now I can look for it other places. It is good deal if the bread came with it. That means the cheese and bread was only $5.95! What a bargain!
 
I have to pipe in with the others, that cheese plate looks mighty yummy!

And, as for the drink story, ewwwww.... :scared:

Although, I have to admit, I'm of the mindset that any alcohol in a drink cancels out the germs. That's why sick people should always drink Screwdrivers. :rotfl2:
 















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