How Many Attempts Does It Take To End Up in a Diabetic Coma: An Adult Adventure at Food and Wine Festival *completed*

[DouglasE]

The mosaic wall at the Land pavilion, thankfully, was not hard at all to find. I tried to find the “toothpaste” wall at the Seas all…over…the…place! I could not find it. I created my own Seas wall picture, instead.

I had time to kill and had a FastPass+ for the Pixar Shorts Film Festival about to show. The fact that they were three shorts films was great. I saw “Get A Horse, “Piper”, and “Feast”. All three shows lasted 18 minutes. I don’t know what my attention span could hold this morning so that worked out perfectly for me. My FastPass+ for TestTrack was approaching but not there yet. I go through the single rider line and then repeat the ride using my FastPass+. I had low expectations because I just don’t think there is any great shakes for this. I don’t know why it is so popular. Especially when most of America ride in cars - all the time! I miss the crash test dummies. But then, do they even air those commercials anymore? I do all my tv watching via streaming, so I miss out on much of what goes on in commercials these days. But I do think the course has improved with the revisions. I will say that the whole aspect about designing your own car and testing its performance made more sense the second time around. I don’t think you get that whole bit when you choose single rider line. My third FastPass+ was for Mission Space. My fellow astronauts were boring, and Keith wasn’t there, so not nearly as fun as the first time on my first day.

Next: How intoxicated was I really?

 

[DouglasE]

Time to light another candle. Today I’m burning my “Wilderness Resort” candle. Mmm, one of my favorites.

By the time I was done with my Future World FastPass+ choices the Food and Wine Festival had begun! The crowds – oh my! Keith made a smart move. They would have driven him looney tunes with anxiety. He would not have enjoyed it at all. I wasn’t surprised and was prepared for it. It is a Saturday, after all. The locals have invaded since so many are off from work.

Let’s start the festival with a cocktail! I have been up since 6 am. My first visit is a frozen Mimosa from the Shimmering Sips booth. They used White Claw natural lime hard seltzer for the booze part. It was small, but a fun way to get things going, especially since it was cool, and the weather was hot. At least for someone who was used to temps in the 50’s.

First food item was at the Hawaii booth. Where is that booth? This is when the crowds bugged me. I weaved in and out trying to find it. Just had a hard time even with a map, but eventually I landed at Hawaii and enjoyed the Kalua pork slider with sweet and sour dole pineapple chutney and spicy mango ($5.25). It was really tasty with a tiny bit of kick to it. I wished it was a little bit bigger. But a great way to start my lunch. The bun they used was too soft. All the juices form the pork and the sauces made it not workable with that bun. But if you can gobble it down in two seconds, I highly recommend it. Good use of my snack credit.

I thought of a new reason to go into Food and Wine Festival with a game plan. Because it gets hot, so hot, you do not want to think. I could not think right. I just looked at my plan and go.

Next was the butternut squash ravioli at Wine + Dine Studio. That was really surprising and had several layers of flavor. I like how they incorporated pumpkin seeds. It added some texture to the dish. They used brown butter vinaigrette sauce with parmesan cheese. I was surprised by that, in a good way. I preferred this ravioli over what I suspect would be at the Italian booth. Their ravioli would be more expected and traditional. This was different. If you had both, what did you think? This was different. A great choice for $4.50.

Flavors from Fire had the Steakhouse blended beef and mushroom slider with brie cheese fondue, arugula, and a truffle, blue cheese, and a potato chip ($5.25). It was so good! Oh my goodness! Really tasty. The chips added a crispy texture. There were a number of flavors. But once again, it would have been much better if it wasn’t medium well. That just isn’t my cup of tea. It still was very tasty.

 

[DouglasE]

Warm chocolate pudding with Irish cream liquor custard at Ireland’s booth for dessert. Sign me up! All I needed was shade and a flat surface to eat on. That dish was totally up my alley. It was very dense, very rich, very thick with a liquor sauce. You needed something to break it up. It was so rich you don’t need more than the serving size I received.

Now it’s time to take advantage of the advice of Sharla Manglass and Heather Coursen, from the Disney Park Princess podcast, and dive into a flight of champagne at Les Vins de France. There was no room to consume the flight there. I had to take them out to enjoy. I wish they gave you a carry-all or a container to move out of people’s way and leisurely sip my champagne. I just managed to get them all right outside the shop in front of the entrance to the French 360 film that was temporarily closed. Three glasses of champagne, me, and a flower garden. Soon a LatinX family comes up to me and notice my name tag and are convinced I’m a Disney executive. I fed them a little bit of a line and said, “maybe”. Their response was if I’m ever in the Bronx to look them up. The matriarch and grandmother asked for a picture. I was more than happy to take a picture of her family. But she wanted a picture taken with me. She said I was somebody. She didn’t know who, but she would figure it out at home. They were super sweet. The champagnes that I enjoyed were 1. Moët and Chandon Imperial, 2. Moët and Chandon Rosé Imperial, 3. A Veuve Cliquot all for $32.

At the France booth I needed to keep cool and had a nice time in the shade of the trees sipping on the La Passion Martini Slushy ($11) which has Grey Goose Le Citron, cranberry juice and passion fruit juice. I was feeling really good right now.

At the Brazil booth, I ordered the frozen caipirnha featuring Leblon Cachaca thanks to the Disney Park Princess, Sara Vance Varney. But it really wasn’t frozen. It melted. They could not freeze it. I sent her a picture to prove that I can follow her advice. That’s what folks do when they know each other for over 15 years, you send each other pictures of frozen cocktails. Even though it wasn’t frozen, it was cold and that is all that matters. Sara was right. That’s all I’ve got to say. I can tell it is going to my head.

Violet Sake was another goal recommended by Annie and Brady from the Never Growing Up podcast. It can be found at the permanent kiosk at the Japan Pavilion, Garden House. There was a good-sized line queued up to order a drink. It was a 10-minute wait. It was a vividly purple concoction. It is a balance of sake, purple pear, and lime juice. It tastes like a grape jolly rancher but has 15% alcohol! Plus, it was a regular sized beverage as opposed to the smaller drinks I had been having. Big score Lost Boys and Girls!

Next: A Signature Dining experience to remember

 

[DM2two]

love your report

 

[ariel_fan76]

I am absolutely loving reading your report and seeing your pics.. sounds like y’all had a blast!!!

 

[DouglasE]

love your report

Thank you! There is more to come. Why the moderators decided to move my trip report when I clearly wasn't done, is beyond me. But no harm, no foul.

 

[DouglasE]

I am absolutely loving reading your report and seeing your pics.. sounds like y’all had a blast!!!

We did have a great adventure! I don't know what I would do differently except have god like powers to control the weather

 

[DouglasE]

Next on my hit parade was the Voices of Liberty under the dome in the glorious rotunda of the American Adventure Pavilion. Their performance was just too short. They are that great. To be that tight of an a capella group is a joy to listen to. They are a must see on every trip to Walt Disney World. They played old favorites like “Shenendoah”. Their conclusion was “Seize the Day” from Newsies. It took a lot to resist singing along, since as part of a chorus, I’ve been singing a version of that for years. But people came to hear them sing, not me. I met two guys from Minnesota who invited me to sit near them which was very sweet. Too bad they were way, way, way, way too young. I could be their dad.

Reflections of China was the 360 movie that I went to next. It’s exactly what you would expect. It is a big tourism ad for China. It made me think of visiting and I’m a bit too scared. I can’t be who I am there, so that’s a big issue. It is quite dated. There are plans to create a new movie but the antagonistic trade issues between both governments are creating problems with Disney stuck in the middle. During the whole movie I had my phone shut off to try to get my battery re-charged with my portable battery.

When I went out into the World Showcase, I spied a cast member who is in the college program at the Morocco booth. We recognized each other and waved. I told her “you never saw me, if you meet Josh D’amaro, she never saw me.” We both laughed.

I went into Mexico to get a margarita. It was a mob scene. It was getting to be super crowded. I can only imagine what the World Showcase during Food and Wine Festival is like on a Saturday night. I am done. While there, I turn my phone back on only to discover Keith has been trying to reach me. We had plans to experience sangria hour at Jaleo in Disney Springs. Keith was already there. At this point my phone battery was at 32% which is fine.

On my way into Disney Springs on the Disney bus, there was a light shower, but by the time I reached Jaleo the showers were ending, and I packed up my rain poncho. Keith was enjoying his sangria back when we were texting while I was in the World Showcase. I really don’t have a lot to say about Jaleo because I was only at the for one drink. But Keith and I reconnected and chatted. Keith really liked his bartender and the sangria was yummy. I would go back from what little we experienced. We had a dinner reservation at California Grill, and we did not want to miss that.

The California Grill is a great spot to enjoy dinner, but it was a bit noisy. We really enjoyed our meal. The restaurant is high above the Contemporary resort with floor to ceiling glass windows for its walls. It has arguably one of the best views of Walt Disney World. On the 2nd floor, we checked into the desk and within moments I received a text saying our table was ready. We hopped onto an elevator and when we emerged a cast member guided us to our table. Since this was a two-credit signature restaurant, this meal proved to be the most expensive of our trip. Being the planner that I am, short of an amazing sounding daily special, I knew exactly what I wanted to order. For my appetizer, I had the Sonoma Goat Cheese ravioli. It was huge. It was just one large ravioli swimming in tomato fennel broth with Crispy Mushrooms, Tiny Basil, and Arbequina Organic Olive Oil ($16.00). It was so delicious that I was moaning. Keith went nuts with the braised beef short rib wontons ($18.00). They had Doenjang Miso-Cola-Onion Sauce, Crispy Garlic-Chili Oil, Radish, and Pickled Lotus Root. My entrée was the Oak-fired Filet of Beef with Aged Gouda Macaroni and Cheese, Grilled Sweet Onions, Sautéed Ice Spinach, and 27 Steak Sauce ($59.00). Keith loved his Jumbo Scallops, Lump Crab in Yuzu Vinaigrette, Carolina Gold Rice, Glazed Dragon Carrots, Shishito Beurre Blanc ($54.00).

 

[DouglasE]

I am not a big wine connoisseur. I know what I like and will have wine from time to time, but no where near an expert. I’m more of a hard liquor kind of guy. My server was wonderful and asked her to suggest a wine to pair with my meal. She asked about my preference of two varieties of wine. I said I would prefer a pinot noir. The other choice was a white wine. I don’t know a lot, but I know I would want a red wine with a filet. She then brought out two bottles and she poured each out for me to taste. To be honest, they were equally good. I don’t know which wine ($20) I picked but it certainly fit the bill. Keith had a Hendrick’s gin cocktail and was quite happy with his choice. Once I was digging into my filet of beef, I realized this was cooked perfectly, just the way I felt it should be. When my server came by, I told her I didn’t recall having a conversation about how I would like it to be prepared. She got scared. She thought they had made an error. I told her just the contrary. I wanted a rare steak and that’s what I received. I figured a two-credit signature restaurant should have the skill with food preparation to not get me ill. It was so incredibly tasty. The macaroni and cheese had a bit of panko breadcrumbs toasted on top to provide some contrasting crunch to the smooth cheese and pasta. While it wasn’t as good as the mac and cheese that I make at home, it hit the spot. Once we had finished our entrees our server shared with us that we had picked the top two selling appetizers and the top two entrees. We had the classic California Grill experience.

Our dining plan included dessert so we took advantage of that. Keith could not stop raving about the Strawberry Crème Brulee which was Vanilla Bean Crème Brûlée, Fresh Local Strawberries, Cornflake Crunch, Coconut Whip, and a Sponge Cake ($16.00). I opted for the Warm Valhrona Chocolate Cake with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream, Milk Chocolate-whipped Panna Cotta, Pretzel Crunch ($17.00). It was a fitting ending. Not amazing, but a really good dessert. I truly enjoyed it. Right as we were finishing up people started to stream in to go out on the observation deck to enjoy the “Happily Ever After” nighttime spectacular at the Magic Kingdom. Keith was done. I had hit the wall. We both just could not stick around to watch the fireworks. We both were ready to call it a night. I know the show doesn’t last long, but on this trip when my batteries were empty there was no pushing for more. We had a wonderful dinner and that was enough.

 

[DouglasE]

California Grill

Ambience: 8 (the highlight is being able to see the fireworks which we missed)
Food: 9
Price/Value: 7
Overall: 8.5

NEXT: I beat the crowds at Animal Kingdom to experience Pandora

 

[DouglasE]

A big heartfelt thank you goes out to Denise Lang, my travel planner. It was thanks to her to book the best time for us at California Grill. If I hadn’t hit the wall at the end of dinner, having to watch the fireworks in the Magic Kingdom would have been a perfect ending to a great meal. I got to accomplish what I wanted to accomplish that day. Having an experienced travel planner made a difference.

It is Sunday, 10/27/19. It is unseasonably hotter than normal. Today’s high is 90° and the low is 75°. Since it is a weekend, crowd level is expected to reach 6.

At 5:57am I got on the bus at POFQ to get to Animal Kingdom. On my bus there were only four of us. We had a nice quiet ride of four adults going to Animal Kingdom. Keith has decided to sleep in and will join up with me later. My strategy was to get there before rope drop of extra, extra magic hours at the park. As I’ve stated before, I hate line waiting. I will do what I need to to avoid a four hour wait to see Pandora’s Flight of Passage. At 6:12am, I get off the bus and join the folx waiting for entry into Animal Kingdom. I’d say there was roughly 120 people in a holding pattern at the bag check. I’m jamming out to the music that they are playing here at the Animal Kingdom. At 6:36 am I’ve passed through bag check and metal screening. Now I’m in another line, waiting to get further into the park. It is so dark at this hour. I didn’t trust my phone camera to take pictures with so little light. The crowd walked very briskly as quick as they could without running all the way up to the Tree of Life. They have the tree beautifully lit and I can clearly see it. Once again, we stop and wait to enter Pandora.

Ok, I make it to Flight of Passage. Disney has set a record. This is the most winding stand by line I have ever been a part of. The sun is rising. This is crazy because I can’t stop to take pictures because this line is moving, moving, moving.

Disney outdid themselves with Flight of Passage. Amazing! That was awesome. It is crazy that they thought to make your ride vehicle move between your legs creating the illusion that you are riding a living, breathing ikran, or a flying banshee. It seemed so real. I was done by 7:30 am and walked over to Navi River Journey. Basically, it was a walk-on with a five-minute wait. The river journey was scenic and pretty. It would be nice if it was a little bit longer. I loved it. There was so much detail, so much to see. I feel like it deserves repeat viewing.

After exploring Pandora, a bit, I moved on to It’s Tough To Be a Bug. I love that show! Some people have a problem, I don’t know why. I liked all the surprises of the sprays, the stinks, and feeling all the creepy crawlies.

Exploring Discovery Island proved to be what this park is all about. Stop. Take a look around. Take the time to discover all of the animals that make this park their home. It was time to slow down and take pictures and relax.

Keith arrives at the Animal Kingdom and we reconnect. Our FastPass+ for Flight of Passage is coming up. But first, we stop to have breakfast. He needs caffeine so off he goes to Starbucks while I get my breakfast in Pandora at Pongu Pongu. I think the Lumpia is so inventive. It is pineapple cream cheese filled in a soft spring roll. I had planned to enjoy a Rum Blossom, but it just was too early for rum. I opted for its non-alcoholic sibling, the Night Blossom. It is a mixture of limeade, apple, dessert pear flavors topped off with Passion Fruit boba balls (popping pearls of juice). Warning! This beverage was sweet. I have a sugar tooth. But even for me it was super sweet. It came with a glowing flower blossom that I still have and sits on my bar at home. I got to witness some live entertainment while I had my breakfast. I saw a Pandora Ranger operating the Exo-Carrier Utility suit a mobile research equipment that make him look like a robot. That was perfect because it kept me occupied while I waited for Keith. The human in the suit was entertaining but I would not go out of my way to watch. I’m sure my 10-year-old self would have loved it. This is not appointment TV. Actually, nothing is these days with all of the streaming avenues people use for entertainment.

Pandora was a wonder and so filled with detail. One pond contained “animals” that shoot jets of water into the air to hunt small flying creatures. You could trigger the jets by waving your arms suddenly at the pond.

On our way exploring, Keith and I ran into Kevin. I love Up! We checked out the Gorilla trail and discovered the critters were having a lazy day. We did all the trails to see what wildlife we could find. Animal Kingdom deserves exploration at a leisurely pace. If you just jump from attraction to attraction, I think you are missing the point.

 

[DouglasE]

After our Aviator Flight of Passage FastPass+, we looked at the standby time for Navi River Journey. It was prohibitively long. This is the reason why I was up at the crack of dawn. Keith was just fine missing the attraction. We had until 10:25 for our Everest FastPass+ time to explore the park. He loves It’s Tough To Be a Bug so we had fun there. Had pictures taken by Photopass photographers.

Thrilling! Expedition Everest was full of thrills. That’s my personal criticism of Walt Disney World. There are not enough thrill rides for my taste. I get it. It is a family park, geared for multigenerational visitors. However, in the 21st century, a 2018 study of the demographics of Disney World visitors by business consultant Street Light Data found that only 36.7 percent of the guests had kids under 18 in their household. But with the cost of a single-day’s entry well over a $100 and a youth population dispassionate about Disney’s brand of wholesome, non-virtual entertainment, the Park has been forced to cater to a once-fringe group of visitors: Nostalgic adult couples without children.

After Expedition Everest we had a FastPass+ for Kali River Rapids. In our same raft, was a family that saw me at the touch gate to the park and let me through. The father remarked that we seem to be following touring plan because he remembers me from other parks. Oddly enough, I did not get all that wet on the rapids. I feel that is just a bit too tame of a rapids ride. I’d be perfectly fine if everyone get soaked and the vehicle got bounced around and turned around a bunch to create more excitement. I know that isn’t everyone’s cup of tea; but it’s mine.

I had never been to Finding Nemo – the Musical and it was about to let a new audience in. I had never seen the show. Don’t judge me! Basically, it is an abbreviated version of the movie, Finding Nemo with music. There were puppets, acrobats, and animated backdrops. You can find it in Dinoland at the Theater in the Wild where Tarzan Rocks used to be. I never saw Tarzan Rocks either. Don’t judge me! The good news is that they use a bunch of original music well. The music was created by Robert Lopez and Kristin Anderson-Lopez. They know what they are doing. The music fits the story well, so no complaints there. I am a bit spoiled and have seen a whole slew of musicals on Broadway. In fact, I’ll be seeing Jagged Little Pill in a few days. The point is the bar has been set high for me. I think most would enjoy this show, but it was just meh or ok for me. I think children would enjoy it tremendously. But when you have seen the likes of Audra McDonald, Patti Lupone, Josh Henry, Jessie Mueller, Christine Ebersole, Sutton Foster, Gavin Creel, Alex Brightman, Alex Newell, Darren Criss, etc. perform live on stage you are entitled to be a bit jaded.

NEXT: A special guest star pays a visit

 

[froggibabey]

I know this says completed, but I really hope you pop back in to finish it up!

 

[DouglasE]

I know this says completed, but I really hope you pop back in to finish it up!

First, I wasn't the one who put this trip report into the completed section. Don't know why someone felt the need to do that. Secondly, my apologies from taking a break from all of this. I'm about to post the rest of the experience. Enjoy!

 

[DouglasE]

My apologies for not getting back to this sooner. Because I waited so long to tell my story, it probably will end up being far more pictures than text. Sigh. I am so thankful that I was able to take this trip. This is how I wanted to experience Walt Disney World. What will it be like after the COVID-19 pandemic? We can only speculate. Back to my story.

 

[DouglasE]

Early in the morning before Keith showed up, I was on my phone. Lo and behold, my friend Sharon from NY was in Walt Disney World! She is a Disney fanatic like me. We originally met on a now defunct Disney message board over 15 years ago. I immediately shot her a message and before you know it we planned to meet up for lunch at Satu’li Canteen. She had never been! Imagine that!?! She goes to Walt Disney World usually four times a year. I’m glad we could share something new together. I had a combination bowl. Grilled Beef and Chicken with noodles as its base, a creamy herb dressing, crunchy vegetable slaw, and boba balls (you know - to make it like you are on Pandora, $16.99). The dressing had its own kick, just enough to make it interesting and not overpower it. The décor is so immersive. Totally believable that I was in an RDA mess hall on Pandora. We chose to eat indoors to avoid the heat and enjoy the air conditioning. I had one of the specialty drinks of the Canteen, the Dreamwalker Sangria ($10.00). Since it’s me, I had a chocolate cake with a crunchy cookie layer, banana cream and Goji berries ($5.29). This was hands down my absolute favorite quick service restaurant of my trip. The fact that I could use mobile ordering and had zero wait for my meal was bonus. The portion size was large. I was very surprised at how much food was provided. Not only did they excel in the theming of the restaurant but taste wise they surprised me with how flavorful their food was. All of us enjoyed our lunches. It was pricey, but it was worth it. I will be back the next time I visit Animal Kingdom.

Ambience 10
Food 9
Value/Price 8
Overall 9.5

NEXT: Princess Sharon and I continue our visit and chat the afternoon away over at Nomad Lounge.

 

[DouglasE]

After lunch Keith decided to head back to the resort. Princess Sharon and I decided to have an adult beverage at Nomad Lounge. The place was packed. We barely found the last two seats! I had the Snow Leopard Salvation cocktail which had Snow Leopard Vodka, Belle de Brillet Pear Liqueur, Mint, and Lime Juice topped with Ginger Beer while Sharon had the Leaping Lizard which contained Malibu Pineapple Rum and Leblon Cachaça with Orange, Passion Fruit, and Mango Juices. Both beverages were $15.00 each. We enjoyed our cocktails and got caught up on everything that was going on with us. It was nice to just take a breather from my day and reconnect with an old friend. We did not have a shortage of things to talk about. Once we were sucking up air instead of cocktails, I went on my way back to the Port Orleans French Quarter and Sharon continued her day of touring.

 

[DouglasE]

After our time relaxing back at the resort Keith and I took Disney bus transportation and made it to our 7:00 pm dinner reservation at Boma at the Animal Kingdom Lodge.
Boma is a buffet featuring dishes you might find in African countries. We are adventurous eaters so we were excited for that. However, if you aren’t as happy to discover the beef bobotie, there are plenty of options that would suit a more conventional palate. It is housed in the Jambo House of the Animal Kingdom Lodge and we got there early so we wandered around a bit beforehand taking in the glory that is the incredibly designed lobby. Since I now have food allergies, my choices were more limited than before. Our server gave me a little paper pamphlet which described what foods would be safe and what would be a no-no for me. One thing I did was make sure I had my desserts before I filled up with the rest of dinner. So my selections kind of went out of the usual order. I was happy that I did because I got to enjoy bread pudding and zebra domes before I filled my stomach. It was disappointing to discover that I got filled up so quickly. Our dinner was $49.00 each. Keith enjoyed a watermelon margarita at $14.00. Considering it was an all you can enjoy experience the value was excellent. It is a shame that in the era of corona virus buffets are a thing of the past.

Ambience 8
Food 7
Value/Price 9
Overall 8

After dinner we made our way back to Port Orleans French Quarter and before you know it, we were off to dreamland.

 

[DouglasE]

Today is our final day, Monday, October 28, 2019. It reached 92°. I was heading to the Animal Kingdom with a crowd level of 2. I dressed in the t-shirt and cap that I had purchased earlier in the week, so I was enjoying my Disney gear. Keith has decided to take things at a leisurely pace and spend the day at the resort. He told me the highlight was a smattering of different types of beignets. Last day means finishing up the packing. I had started the night before. I took my baggage to baggage claim at the Port Orleans French Quarter. It only took a minute to take care of that.

Good news that everyone was happy and nice on the bus to Animal Kingdom first thing in the morning. Folks might be oblivious to those around them, but everyone is sweet, and no one is negative. I arrived at park opening and headed to Pandora where I took a bunch of pictures. It was only a five-minute wait for Navi River Journey and I just hopped into the line. I think the river journey sets the tone for Animal Kingdom. It is a place to take your time and explore. You aren’t rushing from thrill to thrill. I think that is the whole point of that boat ride. You are immersed in so much detail to discover. There were things I saw in this river ride that I had not seen on the one before. Upon leaving the attraction the wait time was up to 25 minutes. That’s kind of crazy, so score one for me! I know that some folks find it lackluster. What are your thoughts on the River Journey?

 

[DouglasE]