From Europe to Africa in America - A Sisters' Expedition

[eandesmom]

I am glad that you enjoyed our meet as much as I did! I did remember that you loved gummi bears because they are my favourite sort of sweets!

I am very proud of myself, I didn't allow myself to open the bag until I'd taken pictures and I've not finished the bag. Yet. It's close though! They are delicious!

I am very much looking forward to your pictures, not only of the meet, but also from the rest of your stay.

Your nephew was indeed a very sweet kid and I was impressed how well behaved he was. I thought it was so cute when I asked about wether it was possible to get plain pasta. He asked in a very polite way and still showed quite a bit of self-assurance, I was pretty impressed!

He reminded me so much of Evan with that, it is completely something Evan would do (though to be fair, Evan's usually involves a much more complicated substitution ). I loved that he took ownership of what he wanted and made it happen. And just like Evan, it was something not on the menu, he was told by an adult that they didn't have it and still proceeded to take control, ask (nicely) for what he wanted and...get it! We were laughing about it in the car on the way back as Evan had just done the same thing the previous week while out to dinner with my parents (and Jeff's). They'll be dangerous when older, they know how to work it!

I need to get pictures from my brother, my parents loaded theirs onto his computer and wiped out their card and left without the promised compilation CD! Arrgh. Surprised, my mom knows better than to wipe out the card until things are safely transfered.

I know he has some good ones too. So it may be a partial little mini TR as heavens only knows when we'll see the pictures. My guess is not until the professional ones are ready (that we had done while there) and I've no idea how long that will take. Here it can be quite a while for the whole proof set and ordering process so who knows.

I am glad that your parents enjoyed it! I certainly did. I love my profession and always enjoy talking about it (sometimes I can bore people with it because I won't stop... ask my sister) But your parents and your brother seemed genuinely interested, so it was a special treat for me as well.

They were genuinely interested! Definitely a trip highlight for them. They mentioned you apologized for going on and they were loving it and didn't want you to stop! They had their own drama coming back, their flight from Nuremburg to Frankfurt was cancelled and Lufthansa didn't bother to let them know, nor did it show up as cancelled when they did online check n the night before. Thankfully my dad had a random idea to call and check on the lflight before the got in the car so they didn't drive there first but still!

Thank you again, it meant the world to all of us.

 

[Flossbolna]

I just started to read from europe to africa today and i've been stuck in my chair for hours. I haven't finished yet but I wanted to tell you both how much I'm enjoying it. I've never read anything from you or your sister before but i have to say i feel like i'm old friends with you both already. Your writing style really takes us with you. Love the history love the fact that your writing about the AKL because that's where we are staying next time we go and my knowledge is limited. Thank you for taking the time to post your wonderful trip and all the little extras like your picnic at the airport. I hope to read a lot more from you two in the future

I replied to your second post before this one, so I still need to say:

Thank you very much for your nice compliments on my writing! AKL is a wonderful place, just ask if you have any questions, I think I know a lot about the resort. There will be more AKL pictures in one of the next updates.

Oh how upsetting and frustrating for Katherina!! I am glad to hear in the end her hubby was able to get it all worked out. That is definitely true about the cards with the phones- we had no problem purchasing a cheap phone and sim card when we were in Europe- thanks to a lovely woman we met on our way to Venice from the Airport (and we still keep in touch!). And we had no problems refilling it all over Italy. But here? Would not even know where to begin.

I LOVED your Christmas tree- it is BEAUTIFUL!! But I could only find two of the hidden Mickeys...

Can't wait to hear about dinner!!

I find it amazing how these things like mobile phones can be so different, I think many phones in the US don't have SIMcards and here every phone has one...

The hidden Mickeys in my tree all look the same, the white one is easiest to spot and then there is a red and a blue one as well.

Both of your holiday trees are so pretty. I love the candles! I was able to find Mickey on Katherina's tree but only two Mickey's on Magdalene's tree. You will have to give us a hint.

My daughter Sarah and I decorated our tree this year while Dad hid in the back parlor. It is definately a "girl" tree, all fairies and disney ornaments.

Although I am teasing "Dad" for hiding while we decorated the tree he and Sarah did go to our local tree farm and cut down the tree.

Cutting down your own tree must be quite an adventure. I am glad that mine was already cut! I gave a hint on my third mickey in the reply above.

I have let the boys decorate the tree any way they want to - as long as they do it. It beat begging them to help put the tree up and decorate... A couple years ago Sean did the tree - he went out and bought blue and silver ornaments and blue lights. The tree was very pretty - but looked like a store display (to me ). Last year Mark used Sean's blue ornaments and added some Cubs stuff to it. This year Sean had taken all his ornaments with him to his apartment - so I had a very sparse tree. The topper was a Santa hat - but with Chicago Cubs on it, my garland was this cheap silver stuff with little cardboard Cubs logos, the ornaments were a couple dozen Cubs ones. That's all we had for the first week or so. Then Christmas Eve Mark went back downstairs and rooted through my ornament box and brought up a few more - some Elvis, Nascar, WWE, and a couple Disney ones. Plus our Santa Kermit that we have in memory of my brother. It's still a pretty bare tree compared to when I would have it covered with all my hallmark, and Disney, and homemade ornaments. Maybe someday when the boys are out of the house and I have to decorate the tree myself again I will cover it all up again.

This is quite an amusing story about your teenage boys decorating the tree. Interesting choiced they made!

Oh I'll be fine, a little email and facebook via my phone withdrawal will probably be good for me. Texting the boys (or the inability to do so) is a bummer but again, they will live. I'll have plenty of access to things.

Isn't it amazing how much we get used to being able to communicate all the time? When I was an exchange student in high school, I would call my parents for 10 minutes every two weeks and this was considered talking to them a lot!

 

[Flossbolna]

As much fun as the Hexenhausel was, I'm glad you're not going there! Witches in trees seems so not fitting for a baptism.

Well, you might have a point there...

I hope I am not disappointing anyone but this area has changed since you two have been there.

When we have been in the Studios in October I wanted to have my picture taken with the Monsters. And according to the park map this should have been the entrance.

But what we saw when we arrived there 5 minutes after the Meet and Greet should have started was only a blue box and no sign or information regarding the Monsters location.

And so we asked a CM nearby and he told us, that the Monsters area should be over there.

And so we wondered and started to explore the area and then we found out that the only official entrance is now on the opposite site.

The advantage of this new entrance/waitingline is the fact that you don’t have to wait in the sun or rain.
But it is sad that due to this new entrance there is no Roz waiting for you anymore.

Thanks for this update! It is a shame that this nice entrance disappeared, but I guess with so many people walking over there from TSM, the official entrance was never noticed - so many people here said that they had never seen it...

Sorry I am so way behind on your thread! Trying to catch up, but it is a slow process. Back home trying to get back into the routine, plus getting everything ready for two boys to head back to college this weekend! Unfortunately DIS time is limited for now but have to get some in anyway!!!

Magdalene, love your update of the Christkindlesmarkt. I would be in real trouble with all those sweets and great foods all so readily available in one place! I'm afraid if I was there Germany would have a new hot air balloon called the "Marv"enberg! The crowds are amazing, very similar to some I saw last week!!!

I had this discussion with the family in front of the "pickle tree" at Epcot. Not sure if they were impressed with my knowledge of German customs or not.
I looked at some Christmas ornaments at Epcot in Germany the same style as the ones hanging in this picture. I started to buy a few of them, but decided to wait since we had already made a few purchases at the Christmas Shop in MK. I really liked them and just might have to make a stop on our next trip to pick up a few.

Some of my first Christmas tree memories as a child, we had a tree topper similar to these. Now I'm wondering if it might be in all of the stuff boxed up in my parent's attic??? I doubt my Mom would have thrown it out unless it got broken.

Oh wow, I love these nativity scene figures! Some of the most beautiful I have seen!

And thanks for the kiss from you and Katharina! That picture WAS especially for me, wasn't it???

Of course that kiss was especially for you - who else!!

I am glad that you enjoyed all the Christkindlesmarkt pictures, I thought you would enjoy them since we talked so much about different traditions before Christmas.

Well done for spotting all three hidden Mickeys! As I said above, they are all the same, one each in white, red and blue (I guess the French colours in this case, not the American since they were bought at DLP).

There really is a very large variety of Christmas ornaments and I think every family has their own tradition of what they have on the tree. Those glass ornaments in different shapes to me seem more of a modern invention. Figures are mainly made from wood here. There were some pictures of wooden toys and angels, they are traditionally made in the "Ore Mountains", an area in Eastern Germany close to the Czech border.

If you start searching for your mother's Christmas topper and if you find it, please post a picture of it, I would love to see it!

The style of wood carvings for the nativity scenes is rather common for religious art, they are hand made and therefore rather expensive. It is a very traditional craft, mainly in southern Bavaria, between Munich and the Alps.

Awww..thanks for thinking of me when you were posting the Christkindlmarkt! It's magical and while the pictures are beautiful one can't really appreciate it unless they are there. It's also the energy of the people, the smells, the crisp winter air, etc!

I loved your DHS photopass pictures and agree the umbrella pictures are so cute! Great job! I also know that Coke spitting machine very well as it got me last time and of course it scared me to death so I screamed! LOL

I'm really looking forward to your DLP report too and so it's so cool you have another DIS meet! Very cool!

Heather

That's funny that you were scared by the coke bottle!

DLP is only two months away today, so I really need to get this TR finished!

The DISmeet was great and I hope to meet you one day in Nuremberg as well!

Actually Judy did put a lighted magnifying glass in my stocking

 

[Flossbolna]

Our dinner destination for today was again the Wilderness Lodge, this time their signature restaurant: Artist Point.

We walked around the main lodge building from the bus stop, so we went to the beach first and then entered the Lodge from the pool. Today we admired it much more than the last time and were a bit sad that our pool at AKL was under refurbishment.

We checked in at AP for our ADR at 7:45 pm a bit early. One thing we noticed immediately was that the restaurant was very empty. In a way that was a nice change, it was not noisy at all, but it was even a bit too empty for our feeling.

It remembered me of those old and spacious restaurants at trainstations in big cities which looked always empty... Most of tham have vanished now because trainstations don't have restaurants anymore but shops in Germany.

I had been there once before, that was during daylight and I think I enjoyed the atmosphere there much more then. It just seemed to be built more for daylight hours than nighttime...

We had a very sweet server here and she was very much looking after us. We were just too slow for her, it took us ages to decided what we wanted to eat.

Fortunately we got some delicious bread:

I really like the bread at the signature restaurants, they all seem to be freshly made and not just some stuff they buy premade. However, California Grill still has my favourite bread.

We settled on two appetizers which we were going to share:

First the venison potstickers:

These had a distinctive game meat taste (which they should, it is venison after all), it was well spiced, the pastry was nice and flaky. The sauce that came with it was rather mild, but this complimented the rather strong tasting pot stickers very well. We really enjoyed this dish! We also liked the portion size, it was a good size for an appetizer and would not make you too full to enjoy your entree.

We also shared a salad – which came with cheese, so we just asked for the cheese to be served on the side so I could eat all of it and Katharina got a dairy free salad on her half of the dish. It was called: Mixed Greens Salad*- with Roasted Pear and Champagne Vinaigrette, Black Diamond Cheddar, and Candied Hazelnuts

Another really good salad. There were a lot of different types of leafs in this, some were even slightly bitter which went very well together with the roasted pear which was slightly sweet. Those pears were delicious. The cheese was rather mild, not a strong cheddar. But I really liked it that it wasn't grated, but shaven pieces of cheese.

After you already know the title to this chapter, it will be no surprise that we ordered the buffalo steak – once again we shared one entree between the two of us. It was on the menu like this when we were there:

Grilled Buffalo Striploin*- with Goat Cheese Polenta, Ancho-Cherry Compote, Baby Golden Beets, Asparagus, and Dark Chocolate Red Wine Reduction*

As you might imagine, there is one problem with this: Polenta isn't dairy-free... But the chef whom we consulted about this said that if we wanted to share this (and he said that it was easily a portion that can be shared), he would just make some plain potatoes for Katharina while I would get the polenta!

Therefore our entree was served all separately:

This time it wasn't plated separately as at Flying Fish (on my previous visit to AP we had gotten our shared entree plated separately, so perhaps it depends on who is in the kitchen on that day). The steak was very good as well as the sauce and cherries that came with it.

Katharina's potatoes were a bit spicy which surprised us a bit. On the other hand it was nice that they did not just throw a few potatoes on a plate...

At some point during the trip Magdalene said she felt sorry for me that I always get potatoes as a side. But I didn't mind, I love potatoes and roasted potatoes like this you usually don't get in Germany restaurants. But the ones at AP were really very very spicy.

The polenta was nice, but not nearly as good as the stuff they have with the pork loin at California Grill. You could taste the goat cheese quite a bit, but it wasn't so much goaty, more like cream cheese. We also thought that the asparagus did not really fit in with this meal, for us it is very much an early summer vegetable. Still, we really enjoyed the dish, it just wasn't as great as the potstickers.

We decided against dessert, but our wonderful server Carol brought out two glasses of sparkling wine for us to celebrate Katharina's birthday (which was marked on the reservation). She said that due to Katharina's food intolerances she could not get the birthday cake they would normally serve, so she thought that maybe we would enjoy this instead. We thought that this was very sweet and in fact it was the only time this happened. And the best thing was: Katharina even got a Tinkerbell on her glass!!

This was a really great surprise and the wine was deliciuous. I regretted not haven written down the name as it would have been a nice dessert for me at other restaurants as well.

Over all I must say that while the food was delicious at Artist Point, it was a strange experience because of the atmosphere. By the end of our dinner I had the impression of sitting in a nearly empty restaurant. Which might be nice in a cosy little one, but not at AP. It made me feel funny.

After dinner we really did not want to go all the way to Downtown Disney to get home. So we got a taxi. We went to the Port Cochere and asked the bell service people for help. They called us a taxi, and calling is just what they did: One guy went to the wall opposite the lobby doors and shouted down to the parking area. Shortly thereafter a taxi arrived – which was a whole van which could have transported many more people than just the two of us. It also did not have any seat belts which made us feel very unsecure. But it took us back home to AKL in a timely manner.

Today we weren't yet so tired, so we decided to make a stop at the AKL bar Victoria Falls. I really liked the Magical Star cocktail last year and so this was what I wanted to get. Katharina really liked the look of that glow cube, so she got one as well, but then thought that it tasted a bit like medicine:

Victoria Falls is a lovely place for a drink, but be warned, they have attacking killer-tables there!!! The table we sat at had these long spikes on its table legs and when I got up, this spike hit my knee. This hurt horribly!!

After our cocktails it was time to go to bed, tomorrow would be an important day!!

Next: Chapter 30: Happy Birthday Katharina!

 

[eandesmom]

Killer attacking tables



I can see where an empty AP would be odd. It's just too large for that. I love that they brought a sparkling tinkerbell though!!!!!!!!! What a lovely birthday treat!

I admit, AP isn't high on my list. I'd enjoy it I'm sure but it is SO much like a favorite place here that it wouldn't feel as unique as other spots that I haven't been to yet. Once I get through all of those AP will go on my list.

I find it amazing how these things like mobile phones can be so different, I think many phones in the US don't have SIMcards and here every phone has one...
:

I think that used to be true but is less and less so. That said, sadly simply because you have a SIM card doesn't mean it will work overseas. I know in the case of my phone it was a coverage issue, my carrier isn't there at all so I expected the phone not to work (though though I could buy an international SIM card) but apparently not. Not sure if that's due to the android platform or what. I do plan to look into it when my contract is up in April as I'd like to make sure it works on our Canada trips!

 

[All7OfUs]

Lovely update! What a special treatment they gave Katharina! But, I would agree, it's too bad they were always giving potatoes as a choice at all the sig. places.

Yikes for the killer tables! I'll bet you got a nice bruise from it as a souvenir- that you really didn't want.

I have heard more than once that AP is empty. I wonder why that is? The food gets very mediocre reviews in general, most saying that the size and quality is just isn't worth the price. Maybe word has gotten out? I like Cynthia, don't have it high on my list, as it's so similar to atmosphere and fare we are very used to. Kind of like you going to Biergarten, I guess.

Empty would be just weird- at any restaurant at Disney.

 

[englishrose47]

Great update Magdalena and Katarina !!!I am not a "game meat " fan but it looked delish!!

 

[Flossbolna]

Killer attacking tables

Katharina and I tend to attract attacking furniture - for some reason or another beds, tables, chair etc tend to bump into us....

I can see where an empty AP would be odd. It's just too large for that. I love that they brought a sparkling tinkerbell though!!!!!!!!! What a lovely birthday treat!

It was really a very special treat and did show some of that Disney magic! Isn't it strange how no one wants a crowded restaurant, but empty just isn't a good vibe either?

I admit, AP isn't high on my list. I'd enjoy it I'm sure but it is SO much like a favorite place here that it wouldn't feel as unique as other spots that I haven't been to yet. Once I get through all of those AP will go on my list.

I totally understand what you mean! That's why the "European" restaurants in Epcot aren't high on my list at all... For us however it was another aspect to American cuisine that we really wanted to experience. My very first dining review here on the DIS (from 2007) had the title: Our Quest for American Food. And this still is very much the motto of my dining in WDW.

I think that used to be true but is less and less so. That said, sadly simply because you have a SIM card doesn't mean it will work overseas. I know in the case of my phone it was a coverage issue, my carrier isn't there at all so I expected the phone not to work (though though I could buy an international SIM card) but apparently not. Not sure if that's due to the android platform or what. I do plan to look into it when my contract is up in April as I'd like to make sure it works on our Canada trips!

Generally an android phone should work here, they are sold in Europe as well. But it might be a question of a SIM-lock. That's what my Iphone has, so I had to bring my old mobile (which never had a SIM-lock) to use with the US SIM-card we got. I will need to do that for my next trip as well, I will only be able to unlock the Iphone in January 2012... And international data roaming charges are no fun at all!!!

Lovely update! What a special treatment they gave Katharina! But, I would agree, it's too bad they were always giving potatoes as a choice at all the sig. places.

It was very unexpected and very sweet. She was an outstanding server and we were a bit sad afterwards that we did not enjoy the meal there as much as we hoped due to the emptiness...

I think the roasted potatoes are just very easy for allergies since there aren't any other ingredients in it besides perhaps oil - and in this case spices. Of course plain pasta or rice would be good for Katharina as well, but would not really go very well with the steak. But it just made me wonder wether this might not be an option for Katharina the next time to ask for plain pasta with some butter as a side dish. But I think she likes potatoes much better (she mentioned previously that they are her favourite food ).

Yikes for the killer tables! I'll bet you got a nice bruise from it as a souvenir- that you really didn't want.

I always collect souvenir bruises wherever I go. I don't know why and very often I just find a bruise and have no idea where it comes from. At one point I was very concerned about it, but then I realized that I really bump into furniture a lot, so I don't notice it at first. But this table was really bad!!

I have heard more than once that AP is empty. I wonder why that is? The food gets very mediocre reviews in general, most saying that the size and quality is just isn't worth the price. Maybe word has gotten out? I like Cynthia, don't have it high on my list, as it's so similar to atmosphere and fare we are very used to. Kind of like you going to Biergarten, I guess.

Empty would be just weird- at any restaurant at Disney.

I think your Biergarten comparison really works very well. I know that there are quite a few not so great AP reviews out there, but both meals I had there were really wonderful with regard to the food: high quality and not small portions at all.

The first time I was at AP it was before sunset and I think this makes the restaurant more beautiful because you can look out into the beautiful courtyard of the WL.

Great update Magdalena and Katarina !!!I am not a "game meat " fan but it looked delish!!

I know that many people don't enjoy game, this was not very gamey, but still had a distinct taste of it. I really loved the presentation as well.

 

[lovealldisney]

Great update Magdalene!

I'm not much of a game meat person either. But do like buffalo and I LOVE potstickers! I think I would have made a meal out of the potstickers and salad.

They called us a taxi, and calling is just what they did: One guy went to the wall opposite the lobby doors and shouted down to the parking area. Shortly thereafter a taxi arrived – which was a whole van which could have transported many more people than just the two of us. It also did not have any seat belts which made us feel very unsecure.

This had me cracking up! I could just picture this in my head! And no seat belts! That's a no-no here, I wonder if cabs are allowed to not have them??

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

Our dinner destination for today was again the Wilderness Lodge...

We also thought that the asparagus did not really fit in with this meal, for us it is very much an early summer vegetable.

If you ask me, asparagus doesn't really fit in with any meal.

We decided against dessert, but our wonderful server Carol brought out two glasses of sparkling wine for us to celebrate Katharina's birthday (which was marked on the reservation). She said that due to Katharina's food intolerances she could not get the birthday cake they would normally serve, so she thought that maybe we would enjoy this instead. We thought that this was very sweet and in fact it was the only time this happened. And the best thing was: Katharina even got a Tinkerbell on her glass!!

Very cool! A thoughtful CM is the best kind of CM.

Over all I must say that while the food was delicious at Artist Point, it was a strange experience because of the atmosphere. By the end of our dinner I had the impression of sitting in a nearly empty restaurant. Which might be nice in a cosy little one, but not at AP. It made me feel funny.

Interesting that you feel that way. I think if my wife and I had an entire Disney restaurant to ourselves, we would look something like this:

Victoria Falls is a lovely place for a drink, but be warned, they have attacking killer-tables there!!! The table we sat at had these long spikes on its table legs and when I got up, this spike hit my knee. This hurt horribly!!

Yikes! Killer spikes on the table legs... Are you sure they didn't borrow the furniture from the Haunted Mansion?

 

[glennbo123]

How strange that Artists Point was so deserted. But it sounds like you had a very thoughtful server and a chef who did well in looking out for Katharina's food restrictions.

Nice call on not going through Downtown Disney to get back to AKL. We now know that that can be a looooong trip.

Killer table legs? I wonder if they're trying to fit in with the wild animal theme?

 

[All7OfUs]

.

Nice call on not going through Downtown Disney to get back to AKL. We now know that that can be a looooong trip.

And now we also know how Magdalene knew that you were in big trouble when you got on a bus headed to DTD. I guess we all live and learn- sometimes by taking the LOOOOOONG way around.

 

[brookelizabeth]

DISmeets are so much fun, I am really surprised how easy it is to talk to people in real life that you only met online.. I am still sad that our meet was so short, but I think then I was really not yet very sure about meeting "strangers" and I did not want to burden my friend who I was travelling with with spending time on a DISmeet. Well, I am certain we will get another chance one day!

We were so off that day too because Henry hadn't been feeling well, so I was stressed. And the park was way more crowded than either of us expected, so it just threw off the mood of it all! But yes! Another meet will come up again someday! I am itchin' for an October trip, I'd love to do the run and be there for the 40th, but the likeliness of it happening is very slim. I'm not going to say it's NOT happening though.

Usually the figures in the pyramids depict a certain scene shepherds or a little angels, or a choir. There are also non-Christmas pyramids with children and flowers.

Visiting my In-laws I saw a really big one in front of a church, the figures were as tall as humans!

I believe my Moms are angels if I remember correctly. She hasn't decorated for Christmas in several years because my sister, and her children, live with my Mom and the boys are ROUGH! She knows things would get ruined, so she just doesn't decorate. It's kinda sad. Hopefully when she moves to FL everything will start to get decorated again!

Wow! It would be amazing to see that huge one!! Very cool!

And great update! Sorry to hear the emptiness of AP sorta threw off the mood. Joe and I ate there on our honeymoon in 2006 and we really enjoyed it! I cannot remember what we ordered, other than my dessert, "Coffee 3 Ways" which they took off the menu. Glad to hear despite the mood of it all, the food was tasty! It all looks delicious.

And attack of the killer table! OW! How strange for Disney to have a table like that! I'm sure they are beautiful and fit the atmosphere, but surely you aren't the only person to ever get injured by one either.

 

[marvali]

Of course that kiss was especially for you - who else!!

There really is a very large variety of Christmas ornaments and I think every family has their own tradition of what they have on the tree. Those glass ornaments in different shapes to me seem more of a modern invention. Figures are mainly made from wood here. There were some pictures of wooden toys and angels, they are traditionally made in the "Ore Mountains", an area in Eastern Germany close to the Czech border.

I'm a bit of a traditionalist, so I would love the wooden ornaments! They sound wonderful!

If you start searching for your mother's Christmas topper and if you find it, please post a picture of it, I would love to see it!

I will definitely have to check for it, and you can count on a picture if she still had it!!!

The style of wood carvings for the nativity scenes is rather common for religious art, they are hand made and therefore rather expensive. It is a very traditional craft, mainly in southern Bavaria, between Munich and the Alps.

Sounds like I would need to start a set, and add another piece each Christmas.....

Fortunately we got some delicious bread:

Good bread can set the tone for the whole meal!!!

First the venison potstickers:

These had a distinctive game meat taste (which they should, it is venison after all), it was well spiced, the pastry was nice and flaky. The sauce that came with it was rather mild, but this complimented the rather strong tasting pot stickers very well. We really enjoyed this dish! We also liked the portion size, it was a good size for an appetizer and would not make you too full to enjoy your entree.

These look and sound pretty good! Growing up in a household that hunted when I was a young boy, and lots of family members on each side that do the same, I am used to venison and other game animals! I'm betting these were really interesting with all the various tastes.

After you already know the title to this chapter, it will be no surprise that we ordered the buffalo steak – once again we shared one entree between the two of us. It was on the menu like this when we were there:

Grilled Buffalo Striploin*- with Goat Cheese Polenta, Ancho-Cherry Compote, Baby Golden Beets, Asparagus, and Dark Chocolate Red Wine Reduction*

This is one of the items I saw on their menu that I thought would be great to try! The picture makes me think it would be a good choice!

We decided against dessert, but our wonderful server Carol brought out two glasses of sparkling wine for us to celebrate Katharina's birthday (which was marked on the reservation). She said that due to Katharina's food intolerances she could not get the birthday cake they would normally serve, so she thought that maybe we would enjoy this instead.

Don't you just love the extra magic Disney is always good for!!!

Today we weren't yet so tired, so we decided to make a stop at the AKL bar Victoria Falls.

Victoria Falls is a lovely place for a drink, but be warned, they have attacking killer-tables there!!! The table we sat at had these long spikes on its table legs and when I got up, this spike hit my knee. This hurt horribly!!

DW and I did a walkup at Boma during the famous "meet Glenn" trip, and since we had a little bit of a wait we visited Victoria Falls too. Very nice little place to get a drink! Luckily we didn't have any "attack of the killer tables" experiences. Sorry you got injured!

If you ask me, asparagus doesn't really fit in with any meal.

True Dat!

Nice call on not going through Downtown Disney to get back to AKL. We now know that that can be a looooong trip.

I can second that! Our first DVC stay at SSR we got a dinner ADR at Boma and I came up with the great idea to take a bus to DTD and then catch another to AKL! I'm glad we gave ourselves enough time because that was our worst bus ride experience of the whole trip!!!

 

[3prettyprincesses]

Wonderful update ladies! Artist Point is on my to-do list of restaurants, I haven't made it over there yet. The menu looks appealing and your pictures look delicious. Too bad it was so empty that it kind of took away from the ambience. I suppose that's better than sitting next to a couple of screaming kids! The salad looked very appetizing, I'd eat that in a heartbeat.

Strange that your table attacked you! What an oddly shaped table it must be. I always manage to misjudge the seats at the movie theater so I end up sitting partly on the cup holder! That hurts!

How nice that your server brought out wine as an alternative to birthday cake! Love the Tinker Bell light up clip too, how nice for you Katharina! Ok, this picture is very nice, you both look good but that camera flash! It looks like the moon is in between you!

Looking forward to the next update!

 

[Poolrat]

Sounds like a great meal even if the resturant seemed too empty.

Great call on a taxi back to AKL- going across property takes a while in a Disney bus and comingfrom DTD well I do not know anyone who has had a quick ride.

 

[englishrose47]

Morning !!Just checking in cuz I am up mwith the birds or actually I think I beat them this morning !! WORK

 

[eandesmom]

Katharina and I tend to attract attacking furniture - for some reason or another beds, tables, chair etc tend to bump into us....

I have the same issue, and the bruises to show for it

I totally understand what you mean! That's why the "European" restaurants in Epcot aren't high on my list at all... For us however it was another aspect to American cuisine that we really wanted to experience. My very first dining review here on the DIS (from 2007) had the title: Our Quest for American Food. And this still is very much the motto of my dining in WDW.

so I'm guessing Leavenworth, WA ( a bavarian village about 2 hours from us) isn't a destination on your list?

Woody Goomsba- "Gitcha Goomsba Up!"

ok I'm sorry, I couldn't resist. Jeff just sent me this today and I was rolling. Leavenworth is actually adorable in the winter, close to great skiing and wonderful in the summer with rafting and hiking but oh, I thought that was funny. Good ad campaign.

Generally an android phone should work here, they are sold in Europe as well. But it might be a question of a SIM-lock. That's what my Iphone has, so I had to bring my old mobile (which never had a SIM-lock) to use with the US SIM-card we got. I will need to do that for my next trip as well, I will only be able to unlock the Iphone in January 2012... And international data roaming charges are no fun at all!!!

I know that was the case with my old phone, a Palm Treo that worked great on the data in Italy but was a no-go on the phone. Had I purchased a compatible SIM card for the trip it would have worked. Different carrier though. My understanding from my carrier was it was more of a coverage issue, than a platform one but who knows.

 

[Flossbolna]

How strange that Artists Point was so deserted. But it sounds like you had a very thoughtful server and a chef who did well in looking out for Katharina's food restrictions.

Writing about it I realized that it was really such a shame that the atmosphere took so much away from the meal, I am very tempted to give AP another chance. The food was really delicious.

Nice call on not going through Downtown Disney to get back to AKL. We now know that that can be a looooong trip.

I is actually quite a drive even without going through DTD... I think I learned that on my very first trip to WDW that DTD is not fun as a connection point...

Killer table legs? I wonder if they're trying to fit in with the wild animal theme?

possibly, actually I think it looked more like repurposed weapons from some African tribes...

And now we also know how Magdalene knew that you were in big trouble when you got on a bus headed to DTD. I guess we all live and learn- sometimes by taking the LOOOOOONG way around.

My trip where I learned that was in 2004 I think going from AKL to POR after dinner at Boma - took us 90 minutes...

We were so off that day too because Henry hadn't been feeling well, so I was stressed. And the park was way more crowded than either of us expected, so it just threw off the mood of it all! But yes! Another meet will come up again someday! I am itchin' for an October trip, I'd love to do the run and be there for the 40th, but the likeliness of it happening is very slim. I'm not going to say it's NOT happening though.

Ah, but if you will be there for the Wine and Dine Marathon, you will miss me! I guess the biggest chance to meet each other will be in NYC, I am thinking about travelling to WDW via NYC for my 2012 trip...

And great update! Sorry to hear the emptiness of AP sorta threw off the mood. Joe and I ate there on our honeymoon in 2006 and we really enjoyed it! I cannot remember what we ordered, other than my dessert, "Coffee 3 Ways" which they took off the menu. Glad to hear despite the mood of it all, the food was tasty! It all looks delicious.

I remember reading about the Coffee 3 Ways a lot on the boards. I am not sure wether this really is a trend, but to me it seems that the dessert options have become a bit bland, every place has a chocolate cake and a creme brulee. But since desserts aren't my favourite part of the meals anyway, I don't mind so much.

And attack of the killer table! OW! How strange for Disney to have a table like that! I'm sure they are beautiful and fit the atmosphere, but surely you aren't the only person to ever get injured by one either.

The table looked great and I might have been a bit unaware of my sourroundings, but still it was a bit strange that they had these pointy things on the table leg...

I'm a bit of a traditionalist, so I would love the wooden ornaments! They sound wonderful!

I actually took a few pictures of the angels Katharina has given me for Christmas in the past years, if you are interested I can upload them and post them, even though the Christmas season is over.

Sounds like I would need to start a set, and add another piece each Christmas.....

Yes, you could do that when you come to Germany with the DISgroup trip you panned last year!

Good bread can set the tone for the whole meal!!!

I had to smile at your comment, because it was so "American" for me. Here restaurants normally don't serve bread with a meal. But I do agree with your statement. If, as it seems to be the norm in American restaurants, the bread is the first thing you are served, its presentation and its quality very much set you up for the rest of your meal! And as I said, I think the Disney signature restaurants do a great job at this.

These look and sound pretty good! Growing up in a household that hunted when I was a young boy, and lots of family members on each side that do the same, I am used to venison and other game animals! I'm betting these were really interesting with all the various tastes.

Remy's family has lots of hunters as well, so Katharina has quite a bit of experience with game meat as well and I think she commented on the venison that this has a very mild taste, so maybe you would be dissappointed. What I liked about the dish was that it was a bit of "fusion cooking" with the Asian influence in it.

This is one of the items I saw on their menu that I thought would be great to try! The picture makes me think it would be a good choice!

It was a great dish! I think AP always has at least one bufallo option on the menu, but sometime it is braised short ribs. I was very glad that we had a chance to get the steak because I don't like braised meat.

Don't you just love the extra magic Disney is always good for!!!

It was very sweet and a bit unexpected! I had put Katharina's birthday on all of our ADRs and while most of them ackowledged it in a way, this was one of the few times it seemed like CM was actually wanting to do something about it, not just do the normal routine.

DW and I did a walkup at Boma during the famous "meet Glenn" trip, and since we had a little bit of a wait we visited Victoria Falls too. Very nice little place to get a drink! Luckily we didn't have any "attack of the killer tables" experiences. Sorry you got injured!

It is a nice spot for a drink! And we had another visit to Victoria Falls which was very nice as well (even though we did not get any drinks then...).

True Dat!

Oh, I love asparagus, but I actually prefer the white one (did we not have this discussion before on this TR???? )

I can second that! Our first DVC stay at SSR we got a dinner ADR at Boma and I came up with the great idea to take a bus to DTD and then catch another to AKL! I'm glad we gave ourselves enough time because that was our worst bus ride experience of the whole trip!!!

For whatever reason, every time I use DTD as a connection point to go somewhere, it is a real nightmare. But when I go to DTD to do shopping, the busses work fine. So, I wonder wether this is a ploy by Disney to punish me for not spending money at DTD!

 

[Flossbolna]

Wonderful update ladies! Artist Point is on my to-do list of restaurants, I haven't made it over there yet. The menu looks appealing and your pictures look delicious. Too bad it was so empty that it kind of took away from the ambience. I suppose that's better than sitting next to a couple of screaming kids! The salad looked very appetizing, I'd eat that in a heartbeat.

The good thing about AP is that it is actually very spread out. I think it might be the Disney restaurant with the most space between tables. So the screaming kids might not have been so bad... But I get your point!

I think I might retry AP at some point certainly, most likey for an earlier ADR to be there in daylight.

Strange that your table attacked you! What an oddly shaped table it must be. I always manage to misjudge the seats at the movie theater so I end up sitting partly on the cup holder! That hurts!

Ouch, sitting in the cup holder sounds painful!

How nice that your server brought out wine as an alternative to birthday cake! Love the Tinker Bell light up clip too, how nice for you Katharina! Ok, this picture is very nice, you both look good but that camera flash! It looks like the moon is in between you!

Looking forward to the next update!

It was a very sweet gesture! I think it was the best birthday surprise Katharina got.

Unfortunately the window behind us caused the full moon! The picture is also a little bit out of focus, but it is the only one of us with the wine glasses and the Tinkerbell.

Sounds like a great meal even if the resturant seemed too empty.

It really seems strange to complain about emptiness at WDW! The meal was very good, so I no complains on the food.

Great call on a taxi back to AKL- going across property takes a while in a Disney bus and comingfrom DTD well I do not know anyone who has had a quick ride.

I think it also has to do with the gegraphy of the place, WL is in the very north east corner, DTD in the south east corner and AKL in the south west corner, I think no three places at WDW are further away from each other than these. And then it does not help that there are a lot of traffic lights around DTD and the bus makes two stops there...

Morning !!Just checking in cuz I am up mwith the birds or actually I think I beat them this morning !! WORK

Good Morning Rosie! I think you were up even earlier than me yesterday!!

I have the same issue, and the bruises to show for it

I am so glad to hear that there are others with the same issue!!

so I'm guessing Leavenworth, WA ( a bavarian village about 2 hours from us) isn't a destination on your list?

Woody Goomsba- "Gitcha Goomsba Up!"

That was so funny! These bavarian cheerleaders!!

ok I'm sorry, I couldn't resist. Jeff just sent me this today and I was rolling. Leavenworth is actually adorable in the winter, close to great skiing and wonderful in the summer with rafting and hiking but oh, I thought that was funny. Good ad campaign.

I think you mentioned Leavenworth before and I looked it up. Seems like an interesting place which chose to look Bavarian in order to attract more tourist. The scenery looks beautiful! And in a way I think it would be fun to be able to compare it to the real thing. When I was in California we stopped in a place called Solveig which is a Danish town and it was fun to visit the bakery there and see that they were really selling all the things bakeries in Denmark have.

I know that was the case with my old phone, a Palm Treo that worked great on the data in Italy but was a no-go on the phone. Had I purchased a compatible SIM card for the trip it would have worked. Different carrier though. My understanding from my carrier was it was more of a coverage issue, than a platform one but who knows.

Weired, I hope you get it sorted out for Canada, though!