Good Values & Gooder Splurges! w/ Pics! (3-Trips-in-1-Report) - UPDATE 11/7

[NorweJenNY]

Superbowl Weekend
Day #1 (Saturday)

I must say, it was very nice waking up to breakfast at Buena Vista Suites. They have a very full breakfast buffet, and up until this trip, this was the best complimentary buffet breakfast selection at any Orlando area resort we'd been at.

Since normally I am a low carber (except in Disney), my days always start with eggs in some form or another, and I usually don't get such an opportunity to have that at most complimentary breakfasts because they're usually "continental," meaning a variety of carbs... or they're "deluxe continental," generally a variety of carbs, plus some hot carbs too (like make-your-own waffles). Sometimes you can find hard-boiled eggs or yogurt (I believe the nearby Country Inn & Suites has this type of stuff), but I really prefer scrambled eggs or omelets.

This first morning I took a picture of hubby's plate, but skipped mine (apparently )...

See the scrambled eggs I was so happy to see? They were fine by me - not too runny, not too overcooked. Decent. Just add salt. You can also see breakfast potatoes (which were seasoned rather nicely), a pancake, grits, and some toast. Yes, mostly carbs (not that hubby cares), but they had scrambled eggs!

I will also mention they have a breakfast meat each morning. This morning's was ham. Neither hubby nor I am generally excited about that by itself... ok, hubby doesn't like it at all. I'll take it if it's in an omelet or a Monte Cristo, but not alone.

The boys had some other stuff too... sorry if you can't tell a lot from this picture, but you'll see more at the next morning's breakfast.

They both started with bowls of cereal (easy to get and sit them down with without waiting on a line). That kept them occupied while we got other stuff. They devoured their cereal (hence, empty bowls). Then mommy made them eat eggs (which Big Guy covered in ketchup). They also had toast with jelly (see Little Guy's plate). Little Guy also had some fruit, like raisins (from the oatmeal/grits area of the buffet) and oranges (one of the fruit options located near a daily yogurt offering at the buffet).

I'll have some better pictures for Day #2's breakfast.

This morning's sum up:

Good: The layout of the dining area was big enough that we weren't hunting for tables, but could find several tables close to each other. The boys even got their own table (as you can see from the picture).

Gooder: Wide selection of food for everyone to fill up on, already included in the price of the hotel.

Goodest: Scrambled eggs! (Well, it means a lot to me!)

 

[NorweJenNY]

had to laugh about the black shirt & beignets episode...same thing happened to us first time we stayed at POFQ. Those little goodies are addictive...shouldn't be, but they are. Yummy!

Beignets and funnel cakes have the same side effects... and no matter how hard you try, you cannot keep that powdered sugar off of you!

I'd love to see how the British Royal Family might try to eat such foods...

 

[NorweJenNY]

Superbowl Weekend
Day #1 (Cont.)

Today we were off to Epcot! First place we consumed some goodies? I'll give you a hint, the goodies are all free!

Yep, Club Cool at Epcot. This was a special trip because one of our non-soda drinking boys decided he'd be brave and try something new.

Little Guy was brave! Ok, so we discovered one of the "sodas" wasn't really carbonated. And now, VegitaBeta is Little Guy's favorite drink!

Only there was one problem... hubby's favorite Kinley wasn't there...

That little red sign is a big disappointment.

Now on to some gooder stuff...

We didn't have a single ADR this trip, but while we were waiting to get into Epcot this morning, we decided to make one. After all, it was just after hubby's birthday, and one of his favorite restaurants was in this park - Nine Dragons. (I say "one" of his favorites because as we keep going back, he discovers he has lots of favorites!) Needless to say, Superbowl Weekend, we had a wide range of choices for ADR times at Nine Dragons. (We probably could've just walked up, but we had nothing better to do while waiting in line to get into the park that morning...)

When we arrived, we were seated immediately.

We had the kids share a deluxe kid's meal, as Little Guy likes the sweet & sour chicken (plain, no sauce - they fortunately serve the sauce on the side here).

There were only a few pieces, but we knew he had eaten A LOT at breakfast, so it'd be ok. He doesn't eat much Chinese.

Big Guy loves lo mein (though I think we had to bribe him to eat the meatballs for protein - I thought they were good anyway), so here's Big Guy's share of the deluxe kid's meal:

All the adults had Honey Sesame Chicken, which hubby and I loved getting since our first trip here on our honeymoon! (Though back then, they had a nice family-style meal that included a nice huge selection, like a buffet brought to the table... not as good a selection on the boxed set now.) My mom and I shared one order, while hubby & dmil each got their own.

Here's hubby's plate... (He might have already eaten a piece or two off of this one.)

Last time I had gotten this, I was stuffed and couldn't finish the chicken, so I thought sharing would be a good idea, but this time it seemed like a smaller portion. We also had to split it up ourselves unlike most other TS restaurants where they've brought it out in half portions on two separate plates.

But it was delicious as always! Soft, fresh, tender chicken, with just a light crisp to the outside as you bite into it... and the sauce is just the right amount of sweet, and it's not a thick, gloppy sauce like most local Chinese restaurants would serve. Nope, Nine Dragons' sesame chicken is in a league of its own. Perfection!

This chicken is served with rice and Chinese coleslaw... I wasn't wild about either, though I'm not normally wild about these things anyway. I asked the waiter if they might have some butter (as I love butter and salt on rice), but there was none in the restaurant... hmmm... and they didn't have "real" butter in Sassagoula either... starting to notice a trend...

This meal's sum up...

Good: Little Guy actually eats something here! We normally can't find anything for him from Chinese places... even if it's just a little bit, plain sweet & sour chicken is a good start!

Gooder: No problem getting ADRs... and the restaurant is relatively uncrowded too (except during free dining, fyi).

Goodest: Honey Sesame Chicken (laying aside the smaller portion size) is the best Chinese dish hubby and I have ever eaten!

 

[NorweJenNY]

Superbowl Weekend
Day #1 - Snack Time!

We didn't eat a terribly large amount at lunch, so we continued around the World Showcase with the intention of stopping somewhere for some desserts. What better place than Boulangerie Patisserie in France?

Apparently, we weren't the only ones with this idea...

I think this was the longest wait we had in the park!

Here's some pictures once I finally got inside...

So what did we indulge in?

The boys shared a monstrous cookie... complete with chocolate chunks and giant chocolate chips...

Hubby had a chocolate croissant.

I wasn't big on the thought of this... if I'm gonna get something with chocolate though, I want it to be really chocolatey. However, I didn't try this, and hubby devoured it... so I guess that's a good sign.

Grandmom had a piece of cheesecake.

I was kinda glad I didn't get this one... it had a lemony flavor to it, and I don't care for lemon in my desserts. She enjoyed it though! I will say it did have a nice texture.

I got a cream puff... and BOY, was it a cream puff!

I don't understand how they got this to stand up in the bakery! Just look at it! I enjoyed it - out of all the items we bought, this was the right one for me. I love cream! I was a little disappointed in how hard the outer part of the pastry was... I was hoping for a little crisp at most, a light one... I can't say this was particularly light on the outside, but I will say I am being just a little picky here... it really wasn't that bad. And the rest of the pastry (inside) was softer.

Here's the round-up...

Good: The cream puff... nice for a cream lover like myself. And not too heavy if you're concerned about things that might make you feel too stuffed to move around.

Gooder: The prices - all these snacks were pretty low (at least for Disney), even for being big items... the pricier items were only about $5... and that was stuff like quiche and sandwiches that you could actually make a meal on!

Goodest: The variety - there was sooo much to choose from. While I may or may not get a cream puff again, I certainly feel like returning because there was a large selection inside!

 

[Pooh&OurHunny]

Our favorite stops...Boulangerie Patisserie. I'm drooling

 

[NorweJenNY]

Superbowl Weekend
Day #1 - Dinner

We were back to Sassagoula Floatworks at Port Orleans - French Quarter... because apparently we all enjoyed last night's dinner so much we needed it again!

Instead of having too many repeats, I'll share the changes...

The kiddos shared an adult pizza this time.

Two slices of an adult single pizza seemed to be a decent amount for the munchkins to eat. We got pepperoni and put all of the pepperonis on Little Guy's half because he loves pepperoni but Big Guy prefers plain cheese.

The menu says it is served with salad, but if you opt for no salad, it's cheaper. I believe the adult single pizza was about $6 and change without the salad (and before my TiW 20% discount ).

This makes it economical. Of course had we gotten two kid's pizzas, drinks and sides would've come with it, but I usually carry raisins and juice packs along for just such a time... just so we don't spend too much on un-exciting side dishes.

Hubby mixed it up a bit and went with the jambalaya.

Not to mislead you, his mother gave him her cornbread - that's why there's two on the plate. It comes with one piece. Hubby really likes jambalaya but doesn't normally order it because he doesn't eat seafood which is commonly found in it. Here, it contains chicken... he really likes it this way!

I got my favorite ribs again, but look at the improvement tonight...

No cheese soup! The macaroni and cheese was good an creamy, not runny at all! And this shot shows you how a complete order looks (not just the half orders that my mom and I often split.) See they actually give you two sets of ribs instead of one long rack? It makes it very easy to share if that's what you decide to do!

Good: Money savings - by getting an adult pizza (no salad) for the kids to share, and my wonderful 20% off discount with my TiW card! I love when it works at a CS restaurant because you don't even need to add on a tip!

Gooder: Hubby was happy to have some variety. Sure, he liked the ribs, but I know he personally doesn't like eating messy foods in public (beignets are an exception, I suppose ), so eating jambalaya (with chicken, not seafood) was a nice, neater change of pace for him.

Goodest: My ribs with mac & cheese plate was cooked perfectly! I went right back to !


One more thing to share this evening... the BOGO birthday nights at Buena Vista Suites had one more element besides an already good price on the lodging...

Dmil's cake was complimentary with the deal! I'd say it was a nice size for four nice servings, which would be fine because the kid's weren't interested in it. It was a white cake with some raspberry filling (which meant hubby wasn't interested in it either - not big on most fruit). It had a white icing and white chocolate and dark chocolate shavings on the side, with a cute chocolate rose too. Something in the cake was an additional flavor for a simple cake... something to make it a little more unique. I think my mom said it might have been mascarpone? Anyway, my mom and I had just small amounts, but the important thing was dmil, enjoyed it the most and got most of it for herself too!

 

[NorweJenNY]

Our favorite stops...Boulangerie Patisserie. I'm drooling

Need a napkin?

So what do you like to get from the French bakery?

 

[honeybunches]

great pictures & commentary! I thoroughly enjoyed reading what you have so far, looking forward to more! thanks!!

 

[NorweJenNY]

great pictures & commentary! I thoroughly enjoyed reading what you have so far, looking forward to more! thanks!!

Glad you've joined in! Lots more to come!

 

[NorweJenNY]

Superbowl Weekend
Day #2 (Superbowl Sunday)
Breakfast

It was a pleasure to try another breakfast buffet at Buena Vista Suites. They don't serve the same things every day - they do change things around a bit...

Here's my plate:

I got my eggs again ...plus those yummy potatoes! (I did like them with ketchup... I was starting to feel like Big Guy - he's my Ketchup Kid... I think there's one in every family.)

Instead of pancakes, today they had french toast sticks, which I was looking forward to indulging in... but nope! Not worth a second bite. They were seriously undercooked, and therefore, NASTY!

One other change today - the meat. I do like meat, all types, except I wasn't particularly fond of the ham the previous day... so the bacon was a welcome change this morning! It was cooked well and really hit the spot! (Better than some of the Disney bacon I'd just tolerate... I'm sure many of you who've been around The World have had some of that "Disney bacon.")

I also helped myself to a bowl of oatmeal. Sure, we were in Florida, but it was not the warmest place to be. Some people forget that it can be chilly down there too. Anyway, the oatmeal was a nice warm-up-the-tummy type of meal that I don't normally eat in my away-from-Disney low-carb life. (The closest I can get is ground flaxseed meal... yeah, pretty much tastes how it sounds, though more tolerable with butter, cinnamon, and sf syrup.) Since I was indulging in oatmeal, I did it up right - with a nice plump of butter, some brown sugar, a little maple syrup, and raisins - all available on that wonderful complimentary buffet. Yum.

Why I had a diet coke with breakfast, I don't know... it really doesn't feel right to have soda with breakfast. I later got some hot chocolate. The buffet also had tea, coffee, juice, and milk available.

Here's Little Guy and his food:

Scrambled eggs (with jelly... ), raisins, pears (in the bowl on the plate), orange wedge, two chocolate-covered donuts (they also had powdered and at least one other type), and some fruit loops with milk.

Between our two plates, I think we pretty much covered everything that was on anyone else's plates.

Good: One word: COMPLIMENTARY!

Gooder: Oatmeal - yummy on a cold day!

Goodest: Eggs AND bacon! Yay, protein!

 

[NorweJenNY]

Superbowl Weekend
Day #2 - Wrapping up the rest of our first trip in 2010

We all ate a rather full breakfast, so by afternoon, we decided to just snack instead of have a real lunch.

Here are some of our favorite snacks in Magic Kingdom:

Good: Dole Whips from Aloha Aisle... I personally can't put these on top of my favorite snacks list... though hubby and his mother probably could! (She had THREE in one day!) Hubby and his mother are into the pineapple version, while the kiddos prefer vanilla.

Gooder: Funnel Cakes from Sleepy Hollow! Yum! As long as these aren't overcooked and too crispy, these are a delight... love those nice soft pieces. As I've already warned before with the beignets, watch out for that powdered sugar and dark clothing! This is the place to get them... cheaper than the funnel cake stand in Epcot or on the Boardwalk for some reason.

Goodest: Chili Cheese Fries from Pecos Bill's! Part of the reason these were so good to me was that it was, as I said before, a cold day. These warmed me up! And, because I got these from Pecos Bill's, there's a nice toppings bar where I could get some onions and shredded cheese to add to my chili cheese fries... and I got an additional cheese sauce on the side because there are always those spare fries on the edges that just get a lack of toppings.

For dinner, guess what we did? Yep, back to Sassagoula Floatworks at the French Quarter for our favorites - ribs, jambalaya, beignets... all great! We love ending a trip this way! And there was a bit of added excitement from the lounge... people in all types of Saints gear were really happy for some reason that night. And at Port Orleans, we saw no evidence of opposition...

For breakfast, yep... one more buffet at Buena Vista Suites before we hit the road. Sausages were the meat of the day, and hubby and I loaded up on them. Overall, great breakfasts here. We'd come back to Buena Vista Suites again if the price is right and we're trying to save some money on lodging and meals.

And that's the end of our Superbowl Weekend trip. We came in just about on budget. $300 out of our pockets for a weekend in Disney (thanks to deals and the grandmothers coming along to share some costs)... and Superbowl Weekend, IMHO, is a great time to visit Disney! I'd love to come back during the same time period! We witnessed some of the lowest wait times for attractions ever!

Stay tuned to this dining review for our Easter Weekend eats - coming up next!

 

[Dizzymrslizzy]

Your sons sure have grown since the last pictures I saw (I know it was only a few months ago). I think your Little Guy had a growth spurt.

Holy Moly! Little Guy DID have a big Growth Spurt according to your first picture of you and the boys. He looks so much more grown up!!!!

PS- Don't forget to post about my amazing Carrot Cake Cookie!!!! Or I'll have to Hijack your report

PPSS- Next trip you have to include us again! Or at least mail me another CC Cookie!!! LOL

 

[Dis_Yoda]

Apparently we traveled the same weekends!

Love the reviews

 

[NorweJenNY]

Holy Moly! Little Guy DID have a big Growth Spurt according to your first picture of you and the boys. He looks so much more grown up!!!!

PS- Don't forget to post about my amazing Carrot Cake Cookie!!!! Or I'll have to Hijack your report

PPSS- Next trip you have to include us again! Or at least mail me another CC Cookie!!! LOL

You don't have to remind me that my Little Guy is not so little anymore...

He is growing up... all ready for kindergarten!

If I skip the CCC mention, feel free to hijack!

Hey, if we go next fall, we'll mail your hubby a CCC for his birthday. We've done trips together two years apart, so if we skip WDW for fall 2010, then we're due for another together trip in fall 2011...

Apparently we traveled the same weekends!

Love the reviews

Great minds in the same rut...

Thanks! Stay tuned for more!

 

[tink too]

Loving your food report and photos.

I really must treat my DH to a Pineapple Dole Whip in October as I always read such good things about them.

 

[NuJoy]

I am thoroughly enjoying your reviews. Can't wait to read more.

 

[let'sgo]

Really enjoyed reading the reviews and seeing the pictures! It all looked so good.

 

[NorweJenNY]

Loving your food report and photos.

I really must treat my DH to a Pineapple Dole Whip in October as I always read such good things about them.

Hubby and lots of people have come to love pineapple dole whips... I'm just not one of them...

Though I did discover ONE way I do appreciate using a pineapple dole whip. Hubby also discovered a nifty little trick about ordering his dole whip too... You'll have to tune in to my third-trip-of-the-year's review though.


Glad you're enjoying what you're seeing!

I am thoroughly enjoying your reviews. Can't wait to read more.

Glad you're enjoying!

Really enjoyed reading the reviews and seeing the pictures! It all looked so good.

It is good... mmmmmm...

Glad you're enjoying as well!

 

[NorweJenNY]

Easter Weekend
Day #1 - Snack

We made it to Epcot around 11am (after staying overnight near the GA/FL border on I-95, where we had a complimentary "deluxe" continental breakfast at a Days Inn - yep, that meant carbs, plus waffles, aka more carbs).

One of the things the boys love to do in Epcot is get the charms in all the countries, so for a busy weekend like this, that seemed like a brilliant plan. (Though we stopped to get FPs for Test Track first. )

We started in Mexico, got to Norway, and while hubby took the kiddos to the Kidcot stop, I stopped in Kringla Bakeri og Cafe. Normally, I'm a lefse type of person here. But this trip, I after I finally learned that my tastebuds actually don't mind coconut the way they used to, I decided it was time to try the famous school bread:

(Yes, I realized - more carbs, but at least this was a very short trip.)

My verdict? Pleasant, but not to-die-for. First off, I was expecting it too resemble a somewhat donut-like texture and sweetness, but apparently the texture and flavor was more like a basic roll - soft roll, but basic. I expected a little more to it. No, I didn't mind the coconut. The filling, well, I expected that to be a sweetened thing too. It tasted very buttery, which I like, but I felt like the overall product just lacked sweetness. I guess when it's called school bread, I should expect just that - bread. And bread typically isn't sweet. So I don't know where I got this notion in my head that this should be sweet, but maybe if I had eaten it without the expectations of it being sweet, it would've been better. Next time though, I'll either get my lefse or try another one of the treats that the place has a nice variety of.

I will say though, school bread, like lefse, is only about $2... so that's a pretty good value for a snack in Disney.

 

[NorweJenNY]

Easter Weekend
Day #1 - Lunch

We continued from Norway to China all the way to an adventurous dining experience at Liberty Inn. (Yes, that's sarcasm.) Had the kids not been along, we probably would've eaten a CS in at least a country that we're not native to...

Big Guy had a burger and fries... he had another side included, it may have been applesauce - I really don't remember.

Exciting, right?

Little Guy had chicken nuggets and fries and grapes.

Thrilling, I know... but try to contain your excitement.

The kid's meals came with drinks... and I believe the both got apple juices.

Hubby had a double bacon cheeseburger... and fries.

Oooh... Ahhh... right? At least it seemed like a "manly" meal... lots of meat... I mean two beef patties PLUS bacon... mmmmmm.

I probably could have liked that too (especially after all the carbs that morning), but I didn't give hubby specific instructions other than "you know what I like... get me something."

This is what he brought me...

A chili cheese dog and fries - messy, but good. Chili and cheese are just a wonderful combination... and by cheese, I mean processed, creamy, yellowy sauce. It was a day of pure nutrition, wasn't it? And fries to go with it? My goodness... had I ordered this, I would have gotten apples instead of fries (as that is an option here). But, at least the fries were good for dipping in the extra chili and cheese from the hot dog. And apparently the fries did not disappoint... not one left behind. Oh... the carbs... the shame...

So Liberty Inn, here's the final thoughts...

Good: There were a lot of tables here... we didn't have too much trouble finding a place to sit inside. There were more tables outside, but it seemed a bit too warm out there. A lot of the other countries in Epcot tend to have very limited seating.

Gooder: Guaranteed to find food for non-adventurous eaters (such as my two little boys.)

Goodest: Meaty options... I like meat... and I needed meat after all the carbs I'd had earlier. Double bacon cheeseburger with bacon - while unadventurous, will still satisfy any carnivore. And a hot dog smothered in chili - same deal. I believe the menu also features a BBQ pork sandwich and a roast beef and cheddar sandwich. Both are harder to come by in the parks than hot dogs and burgers, so those would be options I'd like to check out should I find myself at Liberty Inn again in the future.