I haven't been this excited about my birthday since I turned 21! COMPLETE

[jabead]

Following our dinner at Flying Fish, the plan was for us all to go to Jellyrolls. However I considered bailing since our dinner had taken about three hours so it was 11:00ish and some of us had plans to meet for breakfast at 8:00 the next morning. On the other hand though, on each of my last 6 WDW trips I had intended to visit Jellyrolls but I had yet to set foot in the door. Therefore, I decided that I should not let a 7th trip go by without marking this off my Disney World bucket list.

And so the five of us (all but Beth who opted out) had our first ever visit to Jellyrolls that night. In case you too are new to this dueling piano bar, here is what it looks like inside...







This club is located on the Boardwalk, but is also very close to the Swan & Dolphin. You must be 21 to enter and there is a cover charge of $12 per person. As you can see from the above photos, the entertainment here consists of between 2 - 4 performers who are on stage playing the piano and singing songs that are requested by the audience. Sadly though, none of our requests were performed during the time we were there.

They have a full bar and servers who come to your table to take your order and deliver your drinks. I don't believe they serve any food here though other than the complimentary basket of popcorn that our server left on our table. So even though I was too full to drink, I still found room somewhere to have a few handfuls of popcorn...I mean, who can resist popcorn?? Although I didn't think about taking a photo of it, it does make a partial appearance in the selfie that Hunter took of the three of us.



Michael and Brenda were already gone by this time, as I think Brenda's foot was still pretty sore so they didn't stay long.


In going through the photos that I took at Jellyrolls that night, I found that most were not very good and not worth keeping. I almost hit the "delete" button on this one until I noticed something shiny in the photo that caught my eye.



Could it be a Disco Ball? Yes, I do believe it is!!!


Wow, this takes me back a few years, plus about 30...





Ahh, I have such fond memories of my disco days...



Ok, so this is not me...I had brown hair.


Since I haven't been clubbing in way more years than I can count, I have to ask...Is this a throwback from the '70s-'80s? Or have Disco Balls made a comeback? Could it be possible that they never left?


But getting back now to the task at hand, which is reviewing my first ever visit to Jellyrolls. In one word I would have to describe it as "ho-hum". I know that Jellyrolls has its fans but at this point I can't really say that I'm one of them. Maybe if I hadn't had to pay $12 I would not have expected as much? Or perhaps I was just too tired and drained by our weird 3 hour experience at Flying Fish to give this place a fair shake? While I'm glad that I finally got to mark this off my bucket list, I think the next time that I'm wanting to see some live entertainment along the same lines as that at Jellyrolls, I'll use my $12 to take a taxi over to Port Orleans to see Yehaa Bob. ​

Next up: Paula & Hunter's Anniversary Dinner

 

[disney meema]

Love the disco ball and I think they've always been around here and there, who does t love a good disco ball : ) Was there a crowd in jelly rolls? What kind of music did they play? We used to love going to pleasure island back in the day and they had great crowds in the summer months, it was really fun with west to east jet lag to go there in the evening. I'm curious if people still go out to a club like setting in disney world? I know I'd be too pooped out to do a park and a club, showing my age here.
We have keys on main here in Utah and they do sell appetizers and some sandwiches along with themed cocktails.

 

[Smiling Cheshire Cat]

How considerate of the manager of FF to comp your meals due to your rude server. As for Jellyrolls, I can't say I've ever been enticed to try it. But of course we've usually got young ones with us. Hope Brenda's ankle didn't bother her the rest of trip.

 

[wdwloverz]

VERY MUCH enjoying this! Thank You! Started reading all the reviews last night and just got caught up!

 

[kastoney]

Ok Barb, you think you have us all fooled with your lack of pictures, we of course know your lack of pictures is really code for picture deletion. I can see you now on top of the piano doing the hustle in the glow of the disco ball. Hopefully those pics will show up on one of the others trip reports ; )

 

[Couchy]

Barb - yes that was the tuna appetizer and it is delicious. I was quite embarrassed as I was talking the place up. The service was horrible. I jsut wanted my water refilled. It was a shock that our entire bill was comped and I did send an email to the manager who comped our meal to thank him and tell him it was completely unnecessary. He thanked me for my return visits and told me no problem. I think it was all the picture taking. I actually just ate at the bar with Wil and it was fantastic. FYI ... service at the bar is awesome

 

[Niki Andiokno]

I can just imagine those deleted photos Kari is talking about. We know they are out there. LOL.

I don't know if the disco ball has always been in or is making a comeback. I was an 80's punk rocker, so I didn't do much disco. But how can you not love a disco ball? I remember seeing one at Atlantic Dance at the Boardwalk when it was still a dance club, and one at Mannequins at Pleasure Island.

As far as the Food & Wine Classic, people were dressed from one extreme to the other. I saw people in the "little black dress" and others in shorts and t-shirts. It was super hot when we went, so less was more in my book. I dressed up a bit because my friend Sally wanted us to both dress well that night. My BFF is one of those girls who is beautiful and dresses up all the time. She wore a dress and sandals to the theme parks, just like the ladies in the 60's at Disneyland.

I also wanted to dress up a bit because I have a HUGE crush on chef Todd English, who was present for photo ops. Gotta look nice. Here is my photo. As you can see, I was wearing more of a sun dress than a dressy dress.



Love this photo. I just wish I had set down my plate before taking the photos.

I would say, just wear whatever you will be comfortable in. There wasn't much seating. We spent a lot of time on our feet. I might just wear my typical Halloween wear, a bit of good ole goth. Just no leather in Florida like here in Illinois. Wayyyy toooo hotttt!

BTW, does everyone have their tickets to the Classic yet?

Keep the reviews coming, Barb. Love this stuff.

 

[Worfiedoodles]

Hi Barb!

Loving all the updates, what a great way to celebrate!

My favorite time to go to Jelly Rolls is after a day of Disney racing. Usually there is a crowd which comes over after Epcot closes, and you can recognize large groups by their identical attire (particularly during Princess Marathon weekend). These groups have been up since 3am and have run a half or full marathon. They are a bit loopy and ready to go! We have had a conga line, regional sports warfare with theme songs, etc. It is a blast when the entire place is filled with people who have something in common and they are all borderline exhausted

We are by no means regulars, but it seems the secret of getting them to play your requests in Jelly Rolls is to send a little cash with the request. After paying the cover charge to get in, it may or may not seem worth it.

Maria

 

[dvc4life]

Hi Barb! Long time no post I know, but I have been following along. What a fun time so far.

Too bad about the FF server. Man, I hate when servers cop an attitude. But wow what an outcome to his attitude!

We have only eaten at FF once, and I wasn't a fan at all. I tried the signature fish dish, like what you had, and it was one of the worst meals I have ever had down there. I would really like to give FF another try but DH didn't like his meal either. So I don't think we will be rushing back any time soon.

And we love Jelly Rolls. The piano players are amazing I think. How can they really now and play so many songs. And funny too. We have always had a good time there.

Oh, I love your new puppy! How stinkin cute is he!

 

[jabead]

HAPPY FRIDAY EVERYONE!!! ​

Love the disco ball and I think they've always been around here and there, who does t love a good disco ball. Was there a crowd in jelly rolls? What kind of music did they play? We used to love going to pleasure island back in the day and they had great crowds in the summer months, it was really fun with west to east jet lag to go there in the evening. I'm curious if people still go out to a club like setting in disney world? I know I'd be too pooped out to do a park and a club, showing my age here.
We have keys on main here in Utah and they do sell appetizers and some sandwiches along with themed cocktails.

Not much of a crowd, especially for a Friday night. But then again, weekend night vs. weekday doesn't really matter when most of their patrons are probably on vacation. And to be honest, I can't come up with a single song as an example of the music played that night. I blame it on the somewhat "zombie" state that I was in after our Flying Fish experience. Perhaps Paula or Brenda can answer that question??

Did you ever go to the Adventurers Club at PI? I had always wanted to check it but didn't ever make it there before it closed. From what I have heard about it, it sounds like it was really fun.

And I totally agree with you about being pooped. After a day in the parks followed by a big dinner out, the only place I want to hit is the sack.

How considerate of the manager of FF to comp your meals due to your rude server. As for Jellyrolls, I can't say I've ever been enticed to try it. But of course we've usually got young ones with us. Hope Brenda's ankle didn't bother her the rest of trip.

During my many stays at the Boardwalk and Swan & Dolphin resorts I had walked by Jelly Rolls countless times and had wondered what it was like inside. I'm glad that I finally now know.

VERY MUCH enjoying this! Thank You! Started reading all the reviews last night and just got caught up!

Thanks for joining in and reading along, Debbie! I still have a few more reviews to post so stay tuned.

Ok Barb, you think you have us all fooled with your lack of pictures, we of course know your lack of pictures is really code for picture deletion. I can see you now on top of the piano doing the hustle in the glow of the disco ball. Hopefully those pics will show up on one of the others trip reports

Sadly my platinum jumpsuit, platform shoes, and big hair were all left at home. But then again, my hustle days have long been over, now it's more "Wiggle, Wiggle, Wiggle" with my big fat butt!

Barb - yes that was the tuna appetizer and it is delicious. I was quite embarrassed as I was talking the place up. The service was horrible. I jsut wanted my water refilled. It was a shock that our entire bill was comped and I did send an email to the manager who comped our meal to thank him and tell him it was completely unnecessary. He thanked me for my return visits and told me no problem. I think it was all the picture taking. I actually just ate at the bar with Wil and it was fantastic. FYI ... service at the bar is awesome

Hi Beth and welcome back! I'm so glad that you emailed the manager to thank him. It was such a totally unexpected but awesome thing for him to do. I'm also very happy to hear that you had a fantastic dinner at Flying Fish. I'm hoping for the same in October.

I can just imagine those deleted photos Kari is talking about. We know they are out there. LOL.

I don't know if the disco ball has always been in or is making a comeback. I was an 80's punk rocker, so I didn't do much disco. But how can you not love a disco ball? I remember seeing one at Atlantic Dance at the Boardwalk when it was still a dance club, and one at Mannequins at Pleasure Island.

As far as the Food & Wine Classic, people were dressed from one extreme to the other. I saw people in the "little black dress" and others in shorts and t-shirts. It was super hot when we went, so less was more in my book. I dressed up a bit because my friend Sally wanted us to both dress well that night. My BFF is one of those girls who is beautiful and dresses up all the time. She wore a dress and sandals to the theme parks, just like the ladies in the 60's at Disneyland.

I also wanted to dress up a bit because I have a HUGE crush on chef Todd English, who was present for photo ops. Gotta look nice. Here is my photo. As you can see, I was wearing more of a sun dress than a dressy dress.



Love this photo. I just wish I had set down my plate before taking the photos.

I would say, just wear whatever you will be comfortable in. There wasn't much seating. We spent a lot of time on our feet. I might just wear my typical Halloween wear, a bit of good ole goth. Just no leather in Florida like here in Illinois. Wayyyy toooo hotttt!

BTW, does everyone have their tickets to the Classic yet?

Keep the reviews coming, Barb. Love this stuff.

First, I didn't know that the Atlantic Dance Hall is no longer a dance club. This is another place that I've walked by a million times but have never set foot in.

And thanks for posting the photo of you with the handsome chef. I remember that one now from your live update and it reminded that I need to go back and read your review of the F & W Classic, as well as Paula's and Gisele's. I haven't yet purchased my ticket but will probably do so soon. I was undecided as to which night I wanted to attend (the menus for both nights look equally appealing) but seeing you in your goth costume might have just tipped the scale.

Hi Barb!

Loving all the updates, what a great way to celebrate!

My favorite time to go to Jelly Rolls is after a day of Disney racing. Usually there is a crowd which comes over after Epcot closes, and you can recognize large groups by their identical attire (particularly during Princess Marathon weekend). These groups have been up since 3am and have run a half or full marathon. They are a bit loopy and ready to go! We have had a conga line, regional sports warfare with theme songs, etc. It is a blast when the entire place is filled with people who have something in common and they are all borderline exhausted

We are by no means regulars, but it seems the secret of getting them to play your requests in Jelly Rolls is to send a little cash with the request. After paying the cover charge to get in, it may or may not seem worth it.

Maria

Thanks Maria! I can see how Jelly Rolls could be really fun with a big group. And I kind of had the feeling that it took greased palms to make those fingers play. Thanks for confirming my suspicions.

Hi Barb! Long time no post I know, but I have been following along. What a fun time so far.

Too bad about the FF server. Man, I hate when servers cop an attitude. But wow what an outcome to his attitude!

We have only eaten at FF once, and I wasn't a fan at all. I tried the signature fish dish, like what you had, and it was one of the worst meals I have ever had down there. I would really like to give FF another try but DH didn't like his meal either. So I don't think we will be rushing back any time soon.

And we love Jelly Rolls. The piano players are amazing I think. How can they really now and play so many songs. And funny too. We have always had a good time there.

Oh, I love your new puppy! How stinkin cute is he!

Hi Chris! Good to hear from you again! I suspect that I was just too tired and shell-shocked after our weird experience and surprise ending at Flying Fish to really enjoy my first visit to Jelly Rolls. I probably should give it another try sometime. But first I would really like to see Yehaa Bob. I seem to recall from the Live Thread that you were also a fan of his. How would you say that the two compare?

And regarding Bailey, she is pretty darn cute isn't she? It has been two months today since we got her and I can't believe how fast she has grown. I'll have to take another photo soon to show you all.



I'm putting the finishing touches on my next review and should have it done and posted later today so please stay tuned!

 

[jabead]

Bailey became a part of our family two months ago today and look how big she's gotten...



Check out those looong legs! My daughter Emily says she has the legs of a super-model.

And though this is Friday and not Tuesday, here are her transformation photos...





Ok, I promise that my next post will include photos of Disney food.

 

[Worfiedoodles]

Who needs Disney food with that cutie?!

LOVE her!

Maria

 

[jabead]

Paula & Hunter's 10th Anniversary Dinner
- Part 1 -

I want to begin this review by saying how lucky I felt to be included in the 10th anniversary celebration of this very special couple.



I first became familiar with them when about 4 years ago I read Paula's dining report from their 5th anniversary trip to Disney World. This report gave me the inspiration and encouragement that I needed to convince my DH to celebrate our 25th anniversary with a trip to WDW back in 2010...and believe me folks, this was not an easy task so I needed all the encouragement I could get. Never in my wildest dreams though did I think that 4 years later I would not only be able to call these two great people my friends but that I would be in attendance at their 10th anniversary celebration. And while it was great to read about their 5th, I must say that it was twice as great to actually be there for their 10th anniversary celebration at...




There were 7 of us in attendance at this dinner, including Brenda & Michael, their son and his girlfriend, and myself, in addition to the guests of honor, Paula & Hunter. Our table wasn't quite ready when we arrived so I went out on the balcony to take some photos.

First of the Grand...




And then of the not so grand...



Nothing says tropical island getaway like a view of a crane and a fork lift or two.


Anyway, it wasn't long before we were seated by the window at a large table that had been decorated with Mickey confetti.




Hunter quickly made good use of his napkin and confetti...





I'm not quite as talented as Hunter, but I managed to make a a little napkin/confetti creation of my own...



I know, I know...it's pretty lame compared to Hunter's. I'll try to do better next time.



I started by ordering a cocktail while I looked over the menu...






Twisted Mai Tai - Mount Gay Rum, Crème de Noyaux, Orange Juice, and Pineapple Juice with a splash of Lime

I've had this twice before at California Grill and will probably have it many more times because it suits my taste perfectly...sweet and fruity!


However, though I knew exactly what I wanted to drink, I had no idea what to order for my dinner. And while I tried to concentrate on the menu ( which by the way had a few changes since we were there just four days earlier)...






...I kept getting distracted by the beautiful view.












After taking about a million pictures, I decided that I needed to make some decisions...unfortunately they were not particularly good ones.

But before I get to the bad, let me first show you something good...very, very good!



This was the amuse bouche that was presented to us by Paula & Hunter's friend, Chef Eddie.



All I can remember about this is that it was a fried stuffed pepper and that it was delicious...one of the best things that I ate that evening. ​

Next up: California Grill - Part 2

 

[Ron from Michigan]

Thanks so much for the great dining report. Wow is all I can say about your first server at Flying Fish. Thank goodness the manager took care of the situation. That is what a good restaurant manager should do. My favorite item at Les Halles Boulangerie Patisserie is the Quiche Lorraine. I can't wait till October to have another one. Looking forward to your next report.

 

[Linda67]

Aww, I just read Paula's CG review ... Such a sweet way to spend their anniversary
Looking forward to part 2 although it sounds like you aren't 100% happy with the food choices you made :-(

 

[disney meema]

Wow Bailey has certainly grown and does have some great super model tall legs : ) adorable!!! Yes we loved the adventurers club with it's unique cool decor, and the fun at the comedy warehouse ... so fun. Of course having New Year's Eve countdown every night with a band and fireworks at midnight. It's too bad pleasure island closed down it was a good time, and if one club wasn't happening another certainly was. Two great memories I have is going with my in laws who were so much fun and now sadly have passed away. My mother in law caught a lady in a run away wheelchair heading down an incline with her family distracted. At the time it was a good thing then it became a funny thing when my mother in law talked about saving this nice lady life in a wheelchair at pleasure island for years and years. (( I really miss both my mother and father in law, they were so amazing )) Another great memory is having my one and only neon tube shot with my 2 daughters saying it's good Mom (so not) and then riding back on the GF bus from pleasure island with a bus loaded with Happy Happy people singing.

I loved reading Paula's anniversary day review and that cake was beautiful. What a fabulous couple and so incredible you read her 5th anniversary review and the were part of their 10th anniversary celebration. I guess it is a small world after all : ) Like you reading her report has given me inspiration for our 35 anniversary this year : )

You really took awesome pictures from California grill ... Looking forward to part two!

 

[DonaldDoleWhip]

Bailey George is so adorable! And the view from your table is also perfect. Although I have to say, the new GF building still sticks out like a sore thumb. I'm looking forward to staying in it, but it doesn't look like it's supposed to be there (and the roof is a different color).

Sounds like your food at Cali Grill wasn't perfect - I hope everything else about the night went well!

 

[kastoney]

Your dog is adorable. Can't believe how much she has grown in such a short amount of time. Hopefully she is behaving herself and not adopting a supermodel diva attitude.

Fingers crossed part 2 of Cali Grill turns out well, but it sure doesn't sound like it.

 

[jabead]

Who needs Disney food with that cutie?!

LOVE her!

Maria

Thanks Maria, we love her too!

Thanks so much for the great dining report. Wow is all I can say about your first server at Flying Fish. Thank goodness the manager took care of the situation. That is what a good restaurant manager should do. My favorite item at Les Halles Boulangerie Patisserie is the Quiche Lorraine. I can't wait till October to have another one. Looking forward to your next report.

Thanks for reading and commenting, Ron! I'll be there in October too so maybe I'll see you line at LHBP, waiting to order our favorite, Quiche Lorraine.

Aww, I just read Paula's CG review ... Such a sweet way to spend their anniversary
Looking forward to part 2 although it sounds like you aren't 100% happy with the food choices you made :-(

Yes, you are 100% correct Linda.

Wow Bailey has certainly grown and does have some great super model tall legs : ) adorable!!! Yes we loved the adventurers club with it's unique cool decor, and the fun at the comedy warehouse ... so fun. Of course having New Year's Eve countdown every night with a band and fireworks at midnight. It's too bad pleasure island closed down it was a good time, and if one club wasn't happening another certainly was. Two great memories I have is going with my in laws who were so much fun and now sadly have passed away. My mother in law caught a lady in a run away wheelchair heading down an incline with her family distracted. At the time it was a good thing then it became a funny thing when my mother in law talked about saving this nice lady life in a wheelchair at pleasure island for years and years. (( I really miss both my mother and father in law, they were so amazing )) Another great memory is having my one and only neon tube shot with my 2 daughters saying it's good Mom (so not) and then riding back on the GF bus from pleasure island with a bus loaded with Happy Happy people singing.

I loved reading Paula's anniversary day review and that cake was beautiful. What a fabulous couple and so incredible you read her 5th anniversary review and the were part of their 10th anniversary celebration. I guess it is a small world after all : ) Like you reading her report has given me inspiration for our 35 anniversary this year : )

You really took awesome pictures from California grill ... Looking forward to part two!

Sounds like you had some great times at Pleasure Island. I really wish I would have gotten to experience some of the night life there before they axed most of it.

And I hope your 35th anniversary trip is awesome! Having celebrated my 25th at WDW, I can personally attest to the fact that it is a wonderful place to celebrate an anniversary.

Bailey George is so adorable! And the view from your table is also perfect. Although I have to say, the new GF building still sticks out like a sore thumb. I'm looking forward to staying in it, but it doesn't look like it's supposed to be there (and the roof is a different color).

Sounds like your food at Cali Grill wasn't perfect - I hope everything else about the night went well!

I actually thought of you and your previous comments regarding the villas when I was taking photos of the Grand Floridian. I hope they do a better job of blending in the new DVC buildings at the Polynesian.

Your dog is adorable. Can't believe how much she has grown in such a short amount of time. Hopefully she is behaving herself and not adopting a supermodel diva attitude.

Fingers crossed part 2 of Cali Grill turns out well, but it sure doesn't sound like it.

Thanks Kari and part 2 is coming right up!

 

[jabead]

Paula & Hunter's 10th Anniversary Dinner
- Part 2 -

As I was writing this review and reminiscing about Paula & Hunter's 5th Anniversary trip, I decided to search for Paula's dining report and ended up rereading the whole thing last night...which is why the writing and posting of Part 2 of my review got delayed. Anyway, it was in Paula's review from their first ever visit to California Grill that I found (and stole) the above photo.

Oh, and in case you are interested in reading (or rereading) Paula's dining report from their 5th Anniversary trip too, here is the LINK.


Getting back to 2014 now and the rest of my review from our dinner at California Grill. I guess I'll start with the post-renovation bread basket...




Oh, and here is one with the butter...




I don't like the new bread, much prefer the old stuff...but let's not go down that "bread" road again.



Now for my first mistake, the appetizer which I ordered...



Delta Asparagus Soup with Roasted wild mushrooms, smoked olive oil and lemon clouds


Ok, so here was my thinking process when I ordered it. I like both asparagus and mushrooms, olive oil is fine, and though I'm not a huge fan of lemon I figured that as long as those clouds didn't open up and pour lemon-flavored rain throughout my soup I could deal with them. However, if I had paid a little less attention to the view and more to the menu's description of this soup I would probably not have ordered this. For some reason I thought that this would be cream of asparagus soup, even though nowhere in the description does it mention the word "cream". And the description was accurate. So as unappetizing as this looks with its bright green color and the globules of olive oil floating on the surface...well I'd have to say that unfortunately it tasted equally as bad. Sorry but pureed asparagus is just not my thing. Maybe when I'm old and toothless, but for now I'll pass.


Anyway, thankfully Paula offered me a slice of her flatbread appetizer...



BBQ Pork and Apple Flatbread with Coffee-brined Pork Shoulder, Apple Butter, Queso Fresco, Coffee-BBQ Sauce

Needless to say, Paula made a much better choice...this was yummy!!



I did a little better with my entree choice...




Bell & Evans Chicken - Zuckerman Farms asparagus gratin, Benziger olive oil potatoes, cabernet-chicken demi






This was a huge chicken breast and was good, but not great. My first few bites of it were good, but then I just got bored with it.


For me the real star on this plate was actually the asparagus gratin...




Now that was some asparagus that I could be enthusiastic about...you know, really "sink my teeth into".



But the best part of my meal was yet to come. Hunter had clued us in on the sweet surprise that he had in store for his lovely wife so we were all ready, with our cameras in hand. Here is a photo of the surprise being delivered...



This also shows Hunter taking a video with his phone. The video can be seen here in Part 2 of Paula's review.



The cake that Hunter had chosen for Paula was so beautiful that I felt a little guilty about eating it.







But I overcame my guilt pretty quickly once I'd had my first bite.




This was a delicious marble cake with chocolate mousse filling which was beautifully decorated with fondant icing. As far as icings go, this one was actually pretty tasty...not overly sweet or heavy.



We concluded this special evening by going out to the balcony to watch WISHES...












Heart-shaped fireworks, perhaps in honor of Paula & Hunter's special occasion?






And then the Kiss Goodnight...










HAPPY 10th ANNIVERSARY PAULA & HUNTER...may you have many, many more!!!

​

Next up: Breakfast at Captain's Grille