Hungry Are The Damned! 10/15/07-10/25/07 - COMPLETED W/LOTS OF PICS!!!

[whogirl'smom]

Oh, how good that Tonga Toast looks! But not with that pink stuff--do you think it's just the strawberry soup from 1900 Park Fare? Was it cold or warm? Bleck! Tonga Toast is just not something you can make at home; believe me, I tried and it was a gross, Wesson-oily mess! Therefore, I cannot wait till we go back to WDW (but I'm cheap, we'll go to Capt. Cooks. See, already saving a buck for the Grand Floridian! ).

And yes, I thought your plate did look a little skimpier than I've seen in other pictures. Just sad.

 

[Sheldon J. Plankton]

It's my great-great grandfather, Admiral Plankton!

We called him Ahab. He once hunted a giant, ferocious squid that previously destroyed a ship of his and which bit off one of his antennae. He was never quite the same after that ...

The rest of this report blows whale... I mean squid, chunks.

Admiral Cornelius S. Plankton, III

 

[disgrits]

Actually I'd just like to see something new ... I'm a little tired of the whole Lilo and Stitch thing. And I really don't understand why Stitch seems to be everywhere these days. He's a cute character in his way, but please ... Disney ... stop forcing him down our throats.

Thank you!

Anyway ... rant over. Thanks again for reading everyone!!

I totally agree with you on Lilo and Stitch. The wake up call is the worst!

 

[BabyPiglet]

Great review! Wowza, that Tonga Toast looks like it's double coated in sugar!

I'm glad Plankton found his great great grandfather. I'm sure he was teary eyed over the meeting.

Can't wait for another update!

 

[Tink rules]

It's my great-great grandfather, Admiral Plankton!

We called him Ahab. He once hunted a giant, ferocious squid that previously destroyed a ship of his and which bit off one of his antennae. He was never quite the same after that ...

The rest of this report blows whale... I mean squid, chunks.

So what's the story behind the one eye??? I guess that was on his dear Mother's side???

 

[BriarRosie]

Friday, October 19th - Would You Still Order Tonga Toast if You Knew it Might Kill You?

Friday morning dawned hot and steamy ... again. Little did we know but this would be the last worry-free meal of the trip. Although, now that I think about it there were things that happened during this meal that I probably should have been more concerned about: wrong plates of food showing up...pressed coffee that just didn't taste right...strange containers of neon-colored "sauce" being delivered.

Yep, I remember the hot and steamy. Ick. And you had warning signs of impending doom, too. Egad.

Yes...now that I reconsider, breakfast at the Kona just didn't have the same comfortable "welcome back" feeling that we usually get when dining there. They were definitely busy - much busier than we expected them to be at 9:30 in the morning. And there were some very cranky people demanding a table even though they hadn't made a reservation. And the poor CM manning the welcome counter was obviously new and very much afeared of the menacing computer system she was being asked to work with. Despite all this we were seated fairly quickly and settled in at our table with a sigh of relief.

That's a shame. I had a lovely dinner there two nights earlier. I think those who are complaining at the podium are completely out of the Disney Planning Loop. They don't know you have to pre-plan your meals 6 months in advance.

Thanks anyway, but we don't need no stinkin' menus - we always order the exact same thing when we're here.

First up: A pressed pot of Kona Koffee!

This is what a French press is supposed to be used for...

That ain't no stinkin' tea, no sirree! I like the pressed pot for coffee.

Maybe it was the weather, but this koffee just didn't taste as good as I remember it tasting on previous visits. It was still better than the usual swill that Disney pawns off on us as real coffee, but it just didn't have the flavor that I've grown accustomed to with Kona Koffee.

Uh oh. I hope nothing was wrong with the coffee.

Jay always orders a glass of Likoi juice with his koffee. The juice is a blend of passion, guava, and orange juices and he loves the stuff. I think it's vile but I'm also the one with a McDonald's addiction, so perhaps my opinion doesn't count.

Wake up sleepyhead, your pucker potion is here!

Lilikoi juice. Tasty stuff, and it's like Kona and Boma are separated at birth. Boma's got that Frunch juice. Similiar exotic fruity blend, different exotic resort theme.

For eating Jason ordered the Tonga Toast, which is his very favorite dessert, uh I mean breakfast, ever. I usually order the French toast because other than a giant Mickey waffle, that's my favorite vacation breakfast choice. Imagine our surprise when our waitress showed up at our table with a little pitcher of chilled, hot-pink, gelatinous goo and told us that it was something new Kona was offering with the Tonga Toast.

"This is a strawberry compote for you to dip your toast in. We've had it for about a week."

I wonder now, in light of Jay's violent stomach / intestinal struggles during the rest of our trip, if she literally meant that the pitcher of compote had been sitting in the kitchen for an entire week.

It's poison...or is it?

We both tried a little of the compote by itself and thought it was waaaaay too sweet. Once breakfast arrived Jason tried dipping his tonga toast in the compote and said he thought that it was actually pretty good - still sweet but not overpoweringly so (probably because of all the sugar that the tonga toast comes dusted in). He also said he thought the compote's strawberry flavor paired really well with the bananas stuffed inside the tonga toast.

Shortly after the arrival of the compote (or was it compost?) breakfast arrived. Or at least, my breakfast arrived. They tried to give Jason some very strange looking pancake tower that he would obviously never order.

I had a laugh out loud moment when I saw the pink gelatinous goo. First, not just because it's sickeningly sweet (sorta like Rachael Ray), but it's overkill, really. Tonga Toast, by its very nature, is Disney Breakfast Crack. It's sweet enough as is. One bite will make hyperactive children run around like banshees. And if that isn't sweet enough, slather some cavity-inducing goo sitting out for a week (loved that comment!) Jay didn't stand a chance, did he? (I don't know whether to laugh or emote sympathy. I'll do both.)

French toast with plump snausages

I'm not complaining with this next statement ... I'm just making an observation. In years past this french toast used to come with six slices of bread rather than the four that are arranged on the plate. I can't even eat all four slices on most days, let alone six, but I just think it's interesting that the price of the breakfast has increased and the portion size has decreased.

Uh, hello? We're talking about Disney here. What part of this surprises you? Half the year is considered "holiday" pricing for meals now.

Drumroll please ....


Tonga Toast - breakfast of champions

What is it?

A triple by-pass on a plate.

Seriously, what is it?

It's banana-stuffed sourdough bread, deep fried, or maybe flash fried, and then rolled in sugar. If that's not bad enough, it's served with your choice of ham, bacon, or snausage from that most magical of animals: the pig.

Mmmm. That's some tasty looking Breakfast Crack.

Jason loves this stuff. And since he only gets to eat it on vacation at WDW, who am I to deny him this artery clogging taste treat? And how can I even talk about artery clogging food with that arched eyebrow and mocking tone in my cyber-voice when I am addicted to junk food? Why just this past week I ate an entire bag of Lay's potato chips with 16 ounces of French Onion dip - all by myself. Sorry, no pictures.

I don't think I want to talk about my affinity for Ben and Jerry's.

One of my favorite things to do at Kona is to wander up to their kitchen counter and see what surprises they have. I have seen huge chocolate carvings of dragons in the past and lately it's been Lilo and Stitch.

I come in peace ... one piece!

It's pretty cool, but for some reason every time I look at this I think that Lilo is getting ready to bestow some kind of blessing on the restaurant crowd while her faithful disciple Stitch perches at her feet. Maybe I'm getting too irreverent for my own good in my old age.

Ok, now this really made me laugh! "Don't cry for me, Kona Cafe! The truth is, I'm made of chocolate! This alien beside me, he's not a puppy! I kept my promise, now eat your breakfast!" Lilo does look like she's going to bless the crowd.

We found a picture of one of Plankton's ancestors!!! If it hadn't cost more than our entire vacation budget we might have bought it for him, but it was too rich for our blood. We did, however, take a picture of the picture. And we felt so sneaky and wrong doing it, especially because we were laughing so loudly that it was very difficult for the store employees to ignore us.

Without further ado... for your viewing pleasure:

Admiral Cornelius S. Plankton, III

Uh, last time I checked, that was Pleakley. And he's not made of chocolate. But he has a thing for cross dressing. And I know deep down you know who he is, Benda DelusionPants!

And you didn't meet your Booze Quota! That's why the edits are necessary!

 

[DisneyLaura]

I still can't wait to try that Tonga Toast. I hear about it everywhere on these boards. It's a definate on our next trip. Great installment, love the picture of the picture.

 

[oybolshoi]

That Tonga Toast looks heavenly!

Another great one--even Rob was laughing as I read artery clogging part aloud to him.

You guys need to pay Kona a visit on one of your WDW trips this year - you'd really enjoy it.

Oh, how good that Tonga Toast looks! But not with that pink stuff--do you think it's just the strawberry soup from 1900 Park Fare? Was it cold or warm? Bleck! Tonga Toast is just not something you can make at home; believe me, I tried and it was a gross, Wesson-oily mess! Therefore, I cannot wait till we go back to WDW (but I'm cheap, we'll go to Capt. Cooks. See, already saving a buck for the Grand Floridian! ).

And yes, I thought your plate did look a little skimpier than I've seen in other pictures. Just sad.

I've heard of the strawberry soup but have never seen or tried it, so my answer is: I don't know.

We have the recipe for tonga toast, too, but have never tried to make it. I hate doing anything in the kitchen that involves the heating of cooking oil and since Jay is the only one who will eat the tonga there's no point in making that kind of mess ... sometimes I'm just not a very nice wife.

It's my great-great grandfather, Admiral Plankton!

We called him Ahab. He once hunted a giant, ferocious squid that previously destroyed a ship of his and which bit off one of his antennae. He was never quite the same after that ...

The rest of this report blows whale... I mean squid, chunks.

Planky ... stop plagiarizing Moby Dick and go back to packing for your Panama Canal cruise. There's a good underwater organism.

I totally agree with you on Lilo and Stitch. The wake up call is the worst!

Oh don't get me started on the wake-up call from Stitch. It gives me Linda Blair / Exorcism flashbacks every time I hear it.

Great review! Wowza, that Tonga Toast looks like it's double coated in sugar!

I'm glad Plankton found his great great grandfather. I'm sure he was teary eyed over the meeting.

Can't wait for another update!

Thanks for reading BabyPiglet - glad you like the review. I agree ... Jay's tonga toast does look like it was double dipped. Maybe that's where the virus was hidden?

Ya know ... I'm pretty sure that we didn't have Plankton with us when we found that portrait. Just another reason for him to harbor a grudge against us.

So what's the story behind the one eye??? I guess that was on his dear Mother's side???

He's a little sensitive about the giant eyeball so I've never asked. But I do know he's been reading a lot lately and his "description" of his ancestor is patently untrue.

Yep, I remember the hot and steamy. Ick. And you had warning signs of impending doom, too. Egad.

It's always easy to see those warning signs after the doom has happened ... ever notice that? And we still talk about how hot it was during our visit ... we've never been in Florida that time of year when it's been that uncomfortable. Ick is right.

That's a shame. I had a lovely dinner there two nights earlier. I think those who are complaining at the podium are completely out of the Disney Planning Loop. They don't know you have to pre-plan your meals 6 months in advance.

I saw that review and stand by my assertion that Jay and I need to make an effort to try Kona for dinner on our next visit.

I have a theory, totally unproven, that many of those complaining on our trip were the clueless from a convention over at the Swolphin or with the golf tournament that WDW hosts. I have a more difficult time excusing anyone from the tournament since it's an annual affair and you'd think those folks would have learned the ropes by now. But yes, to your original point - you pretty much do have to plan out where to dine 6 months in advance or risk possible starvation ...

That ain't no stinkin' tea, no sirree! I like the pressed pot for coffee.

Yes indeedy - that's what a French press is for! We'll use ours here at home every now and then when we feel like doing something a little different and don't want to make an entire pot of coffee.

Uh oh. I hope nothing was wrong with the coffee.

I'm sure it was fine, but it just didn't taste as good as I remembered. My tastebuds were probably wonky - they do that sometimes.

Lilikoi juice. Tasty stuff, and it's like Kona and Boma are separated at birth. Boma's got that Frunch juice. Similiar exotic fruity blend, different exotic resort theme.

I'll take your word on that one.

I had a laugh out loud moment when I saw the pink gelatinous goo. First, not just because it's sickeningly sweet (sorta like Rachael Ray), but it's overkill, really. Tonga Toast, by its very nature, is Disney Breakfast Crack. It's sweet enough as is. One bite will make hyperactive children run around like banshees. And if that isn't sweet enough, slather some cavity-inducing goo sitting out for a week (loved that comment!) Jay didn't stand a chance, did he? (I don't know whether to laugh or emote sympathy. I'll do both.)

I agree with you for all that I don't care for tonga toast. Why try to make it even more sweet than it already it? At least they serve the sauce on the side rather than just pouring it over the top.

Cavity-inducing goo ...

Uh, hello? We're talking about Disney here. What part of this surprises you? Half the year is considered "holiday" pricing for meals now.

I've never objected to the whole "Disney is a business and they owe it to their shareholders to make a profit" line of thought. I'm actually in agreement with it, but ... things are starting to get ridiculous. The entire month of June is subject to "holiday" pricing...menus being pared down and standardized across the property...the price gouging for certain F&W events ... almost every ride dumping out into a cowpen full of tacky merchandise...blah blah blah.

Sometimes I really miss the way it used to be, when the money-grab was more subtle. I knew we were still being milked of all our pennies, but they didn't rub our faces in it. We're seriously thinking that when we go back next fall (2009) we're only going to do Epcot and the F&W Festival - it's getting too expensive even for DINKs to do everything.

Ok, now this really made me laugh! "Don't cry for me, Kona Cafe! The truth is, I'm made of chocolate! This alien beside me, he's not a puppy! I kept my promise, now eat your breakfast!" Lilo does look like she's going to bless the crowd.

Oh... you had me crying with this one! I didn't even think of Evita but it's perfect!

Uh, last time I checked, that was Pleakley. And he's not made of chocolate. But he has a thing for cross dressing. And I know deep down you know who he is, Benda DelusionPants!

And you didn't meet your Booze Quota! That's why the edits are necessary!

Uh, no, Jay and I didn't know who Pleakley was. Jay had to google it this morning ... we've never seen Lilo and Stitch. Actually, we haven't seen most of the animated movies that Disney has created in recent years with the exception of a few like Toy Story or Monsters, Inc. We don't have kids and if we make it to movies more than once in a 12-month period it's a miracle.

And we never meet our booze quota during the first meal of the day unless it's Christmas and we're drinking Brandy Milk Punch.

 

[oybolshoi]

I still can't wait to try that Tonga Toast. I hear about it everywhere on these boards. It's a definate on our next trip. Great installment, love the picture of the picture.

Hey Laura! Thanks for taking a read this morning! I have to say, everyone should try the tonga at least once just to decide for themselves whether or not they like it.

The first time Jay ordered tonga I ate a little bit and that was all I needed for the rest of my life. I just don't care for it - probably in part because of the bananas which I'm not crazy about.

But to each his own. Once you do try it be sure to come back and let us know what your thoughts are - I'd be curious to know what you think.

Isn't that portrait a hoot?

 

[DISNEYDUET]

It's my great-great grandfather, Admiral Plankton!

We called him Ahab. He once hunted a giant, ferocious squid that previously destroyed a ship of his and which bit off one of his antennae. He was never quite the same after that ...

The rest of this report blows whale... I mean squid, chunks.

I have to go change my nickers now!

 

[wilma-bride]

In the words of dear Homer Simpson, mmmmmmmmm tonga toast

 

[oybolshoi]

I have to go change my nickers now!

Thank you, thank you ... we'll be here all week. Plankton is turning into something of a literary snob, don't you think? Personally I struggled to finish Moby Dick in high school and I have no desire to ever look at it again.

Ever.

In the words of dear Homer Simpson, mmmmmmmmm tonga toast

Hi Joh! Mmmmmmmm...artery clogging! Thanks for quoting Homer at us!

 

[Tink rules]

Will have to come up with some good reading material for Planky to take on the cruise...

(funny...why when I put in sea stories into Amazon...do SpongeBob Dvd's come up???)

Lets see....

The Panama Canal By Cruise Ship (aka how to do the canal and not get tossed over board before you reach the Pacific...)

History of "The Love Boat" (written while Gopher was in congress...)

How to sneak into Palo EVERY night and not get noticed (by anonymous)

How to speak Mexican in uno lesson (Por Favor)

101 Drinks of the Day (divided by 15= 6.73 DOD's for this cruise...)

 

[Timon]

I wish I was there when you guys stumbled upon Pleakley! Yeah, I guess if you've never seen L & S, it would be amusing that Disney had a picture of Sheldon's ancestors

You should watch the movie one day, it's actually quite entertaining We watched it before we had Kira We aptly named our crazy dogs after them too, they are both trouble makers

Kona for breakfast is definitely a place I want to try one day. Perhaps when the gods of insanely overpriced hotels allow me to stay at the Poly, I will giver a try

Thanks for another fab update Bendy

 

[Launchpad11B]

Great review. I've been wanting to try Tonga Toast for a while now. Next trip.

 

[oybolshoi]

Will have to come up with some good reading material for Planky to take on the cruise...

(funny...why when I put in sea stories into Amazon...do SpongeBob Dvd's come up???)

Lets see....

The Panama Canal By Cruise Ship (aka how to do the canal and not get tossed over board before you reach the Pacific...)

History of "The Love Boat" (written while Gopher was in congress...)

How to sneak into Palo EVERY night and not get noticed (by anonymous)

How to speak Mexican in uno lesson (Por Favor)

101 Drinks of the Day (divided by 15= 6.73 DOD's for this cruise...)

I think those are all winners except for the Love Boat - Planky really doesn't like the word "love." Jay and I would like to borrow 101 Drinks of the Day when you are finished.

I wish I was there when you guys stumbled upon Pleakley! Yeah, I guess if you've never seen L & S, it would be amusing that Disney had a picture of Sheldon's ancestors

You should watch the movie one day, it's actually quite entertaining We watched it before we had Kira We aptly named our crazy dogs after them too, they are both trouble makers

We honestly had no idea who it was and were trying to guess which Disney movie / cartoon the portrait was based on. I guess we could have asked, but since it bears such a striking resemblance to Plankton we just decided to go with the idea that it was one of his ancestors.

I guess we'll have to watch Lilo and Stitch, now, won't we?

Kona for breakfast is definitely a place I want to try one day. Perhaps when the gods of insanely overpriced hotels allow me to stay at the Poly, I will giver a try

Thanks for another fab update Bendy

Thanks for reading Cass! You'll get there and get a chance to try the Tonga, don't you worry!

Great review. I've been wanting to try Tonga Toast for a while now. Next trip.

Thanks for coming back to read - haven't seen you for a while! Is the next trip this year or next year?

 

[jakenjess]

Friday, October 19th - Would You Still Order Tonga Toast if You Knew it Might Kill You?

Ummm, yeah, I probably would! Can't help myself; I love that stuff!!

Yes...now that I reconsider, breakfast at the Kona just didn't have the same comfortable "welcome back" feeling that we usually get when dining there. They were definitely busy - much busier than we expected them to be at 9:30 in the morning. And there were some very cranky people demanding a table even though they hadn't made a reservation. And the poor CM manning the welcome counter was obviously new and very much afeared of the menacing computer system she was being asked to work with. Despite all this we were seated fairly quickly and settled in at our table with a sigh of relief.

I hope Kona isn't becoming too popular for its own good! I used to love that you could basically walk up most of the time and get a table within a few minutes. Looks like those days may be gone.

"This is a strawberry compote for you to dip your toast in. We've had it for about a week."

Tonga Toast is just fine the way it is, thank you very much!! It's so sweet alone I doubt I could add anything to it. I'm glad Jay enjoyed it, but I don't like the sound of the direction this is taking! Do I see illness in your future?

Tonga Toast - breakfast of champions

(With my best Homer Simpson drool) Ummmmmm, Tonga Toast!

Why just this past week I ate an entire bag of Lay's potato chips with 16 ounces of French Onion dip - all by myself. Sorry, no pictures.

Glad I'm not the only one that does this type of thing.

Without further ado... for your viewing pleasure:

Admiral Cornelius S. Plankton, III

Love it!!

 

[cocowum]

Great review. I've been wanting to try Tonga Toast for a while now. Next trip.

Thanks for coming back to read - haven't seen you for a while! Is the next trip this year or next year?

Hey Brenda,
We've haven't left, we've just been lurking. Your trippie has been fantastic. as usual! Our trip isn't until next year. But the good news is we're going on the Podcast cruise (Wonder 5/10/09) and then for our usual 2 weeks at WDW in 8/09 at which time we will become DVC members.

 

[Jennifer48]

Jennifer! Thanks for popping in to take a read! I would recommend it for dinner only because that's what we had ... I guess it really depends on what resorts you're planning on hopping in and out of that day and whether or not any other restaurants sound appealing. If you're going to be hanging around the Beach Club / Yacht Club / Boardwalk why don't you have lunch at Beaches and Cream and have dinner at Spoodles?

Great idea! Thanks Brenda!

 

[Aurora's Mommy]

So, is it technically "lurking" if you just discovered this thread a week ago, and it took you that whole time just to get through it all (although, I confess to skimming through much of it)?

I have SO enjoyed this thread! You hooked me on the first page when you wrote that you plan vacations because it's what gets you through the daily grind (me too!), and your DH's philosophy that life it too short to eat bad food or drink bad booze (completely agree). But, you really had me with the mention of the "salmon mousse" (in my opinion, the most underrated Monty Python movie).

Looking forward to reading more, although I'm getting nervous to read about "the VIRUS." On our last trip 4 years ago, then 2 year old DD got it on the last morning. She threw up in the room, in the car (we had not even driven off the property yet, we pulled over on the grass and cleaned her up by the "See You Real Soon" sign) and then again on the airplane.

Let us know about your blog. I want to go to Vegas for our 20 year anniversary in 2009. I've never been, but DH has been there multiple times. He doesn't want to go, he feels it isn't "romantic enough." What rot! He just has never been there with me!

Thanks for your efforts!