Just Killing Time Between Meals in the Happiest Place on Earth~Sept DR *COMPLETE

[starousse]

Flying Fish seems to be slipping a bit. It used to be our favorite and always a must do, however after our last trip in May, we were very underwhelmed. The snapper was very overdone and the sauce with the leeks was overkill. I think we may skip it on our trip next year.

 

[OasterP]

So glad you posted more! Sorry Flying Fish wasn't fantastic, but the firework in jammies - that's a win!!

You guys are seriously adorable!

 

[princess aleya]

Sorry you didn't enjoy your meal at FF. I have always wondered if the potato wrapped fish was as good as it looks. I don't think I would care for the leeks either. At least you enjoyed the crab cake, it looked amazing.

 

[vettegirl]

Another great update Jerri. I have never tried FF and from your review it doesn't sound like I am missing too much. The description of the chicken entree sounded incredible, it's a shame it was bland I am not sure if the frozen fireworks will be around in December, but would love to see them.

 

[kastoney]

Sorry your meal at flying fish wasn't better, it's definitely one of or fav places to eat on property. Had to laugh though that our seating preferences are completely opposite and I would have been thrilled with your seat. I prefer to eat at bars or at least up high. Now that we have a child I oh so miss it. I've had the snapper before but don't recollect the leak fondue, agree your portion size looks excessive.

Sunshine seasons is always so good. Never had the Danish though, will have to give that one a whirl sometime as it looks fabulous.

 

[mickeymouse108]

joining in to hear all about your trip.

 

[CanadianPaco]

Wonderful read!! Thanks for sharing!

 

[disneyquilter]

I FINALLY got caught up on your wonderful report.

To back it up a bit...you are not the only one who adores Living with the Land. My husband and I think the ride is awesome. Spaceship Earth is a close 2nd. We must be really old!

And as soon as I saw that Rob had cheesecake for breakfast, I looked at my husband and said, "SEE!! Someone else has dessert for breakfast at Disney!! It's so not just me!!" *Mind you, I got an awesome eyeroll and DH's response was a shoulder shrug and a smile*

DH, myself and our girls haven't been to Coral Reef since 2005. My kids were 5 and 7 at the time and our server was terrible. Our waiter took a cigarette break in the midst of our dinner service and didn't feel like talking to us at all except to take our order and ask us if we wanted more tea. After that experience, we never went back. Fast forward 10 years later (we are going in June 2015 for 14 days) we STILL can't seem to find the time to go. But we are more than willing to try it. I am hoping when we go again in 2017 (youngest daughter is graduating from HS) we will be there for another 2-week stint. I think we will try it again, then.

I'm so sorry the gal at the GF Tea was snooty. Nothing beats a sourpuss

And now onto FF...we have never been there so can't form an opinion on it, but your pictures were wonderful and I will take your word for it. We are booking our dining on 12/24 and I have Artist Pointe and Hollywood Brown Derby. We have been to HBD and loved it. Have never done AP. Hoping for a good experience. FF is my alternate if I can't get Be Our Guest for dinner, and with all the subpar reviews as of late here, I may opt for another option (any suggestions?).

Can't wait for your next review!! Sorry I was so long-winded

 

[jerseytinkerbell]

Okay, I am the worst DISer ever! I am totally slacking on these reviews. Work is kicking my butt. I will make it up to all of you by posting as many reviews as I possibly can tonight. Thank you all for sticking with me through my review drought!

 

[jerseytinkerbell]

After breakfast and a few rides in Future World we made our way to World Showcase for our lunch reservation. We got to see a sign of the greatness to come.


It was soooooo empty in WS. I knew that would change by the time F&W arrived at the end of the week.








We arrived at our lunch time destination. Italy.


Time for Via Napoli!


We were seated almost immediately at the far side of the restaurant. We took a stroll past these cool looking ovens.


To drink, Rob started with a glass of red wine and I went with the Strawberry Acqua Fresca I had so very much enjoyed on our last visit here.




I loved this last time, but this time it was kinda gross. I thought it had a slight chlorine taste to it. I didn't even finish it. $6 down the drain. Literally.

Our server offered to bring us some bread. I love carbs so of course I said yes!


Nothing special here. One piece and I was set.

I fell in love with the pizza here last time and I knew I had to get the Pepperoni Pizza once again. A few other pizzas sounded great, but I stuck with the pepperoni.


This pizza looks so unassuming, but it really is beyond spectacular. It was just as good as it was last trip.

My rave reviews swayed Rob into trying pizza this time as well. He went with the Capriciossa Signature Pie of eggplant, artichokes, prosciutto, and mushrooms.


He loved his pizza! This visit helped cement Via Napoli as a must-do location for him as well.

At the end of our meal our server, along with two other servers, came over and sang to us and presented us with a special dessert for our anniversary.


This cookie was delicious and the gesture was so sweet! We were very touched. It was a great way to end a great meal! If you haven't been to Via Napoli yet, you must go!

 

[jerseytinkerbell]

A little while after lunch I was ready for a sweet treat and I knew exactly where I wanted to go. Our destination: France!


I have heard great things about L'Artisan des Glaces and I knew I ABSOLUTELY had to try it this trip.






I was torn between a few different options, but when I came in and saw the cinnamon, caramelized apple & crumble crunch flavor I knew without a doubt what I wanted to try.

I love the display cases in here.




I got the ice cream flavor I wanted in a waffle cone.


This was THE BEST flavor of ice cream I have ever had. I am actually craving it right now. My only issue was the waffle cone. It was not very fresh. I would have been better off getting a cup of this without the cone, but who cares when you have ice cream this amazing! I hope they have this same flavor the next time I go.

This is now my must-do snack location in WS!

 

[jerseytinkerbell]

After our afternoon at Epcot we headed back to the resort for some relaxation and pool time. We had reservations for dinner at Beaches & Cream, but we were not feeling terribly hungry, so we moved our reservation to another day and made alternate plans. We decided to hop on the monorail and make our way to Poly. Rob just wanted a few drinks and a snack and I wanted dessert. We found what we both wanted at Tambu Lounge.




I took this picture of the lounge area a different day. Today when we went there it was PACKED!!! We could hardly find a spot at the bar. We finally managed to squeeze our way in so that we could order.

Rob has been talking about getting a Lapu Lapu for the past few trips, but never gets one. This was finally his chance to get one.


The boozy inside of the pineapple.


This pineapple is filled with Myers's Original Dark rum and tropical fruit juices and topped with Bacardi 151 rum. It was everything he had hoped for. He was definitely a fan!

For his food he tried the Pork Sliders. Mini sandwiches with Kona Coffee Barbecued Pork topped with slaw.


He graciously shared one with me and it was delicious! Oddly enough, this is the food from this trip he has been craving the most since we returned. He has rave reviews for these sliders.

I skipped the booze and went right for the really good stuff. Here at Tambu Lounge, they serve 'Ohana Bread Pudding!

Before the yummy sauce.


And now here it is in all its glory!


It doesn't get any better than this folks. It really doesn't. If I had to pick my favorite food on the planet it might be this.

We had a great time at Tambu Lounge! We would definitely come back here and replicate this same meal all over again.

 

[jerseytinkerbell]

Flying Fish was interesting. His chicken dish looked like it should have been flowing with flavors and not bland at all. That's too bad. It's one of the restaurants I want to try next trip since we are staying at BC.

Love the jerseys! Go Eagles!

I really wish I had liked FF more. I really wanted to like it. It's definitely a great place to try if you are staying at BC though. It wasn't a bad place. I just think maybe we ordered poorly.

Fly Eagles Fly! We have to beat these Cowboys on Thanksgiving!

Jerri - so glad to hear someone else wasn't impressed with the Potato Wrapped Snapper. When we ate there, a couple years ago, I did not care for it at all. In fact, I will say it has been the worst meal I have ever had at WDW. I would like to give FF another try, ordering something else of course, but DH wasn't impressed with his meal either and would much rather go to Narccossee's (sp). Maybe some day.

Okay, well I'm glad it wasn't just me. I definitely agree. I wasn't impressed, but I'm willing to give it another try. I miss Narcoossee. It has been too long since I have been there for a full meal. Hopefully I can get there next trip!

Flying Fish seems to be slipping a bit. It used to be our favorite and always a must do, however after our last trip in May, we were very underwhelmed. The snapper was very overdone and the sauce with the leeks was overkill. I think we may skip it on our trip next year.

That's too bad. I really enjoy some of the regular sit down restaurants like Beaches & Cream and Raglan Road so much more than I enjoy the signatures. In fact, I may cut out signatures entirely on our next trip. It's always a shame when a former favorite falls off your radar completely.

So glad you posted more! Sorry Flying Fish wasn't fantastic, but the firework in jammies - that's a win!!

You guys are seriously adorable!

Aww thanks so much! Fireworks in jammies is definitely a major win! It really doesn't get much better than that.

Sorry you didn't enjoy your meal at FF. I have always wondered if the potato wrapped fish was as good as it looks. I don't think I would care for the leeks either. At least you enjoyed the crab cake, it looked amazing.

Yeah, FF was a bit of a bummer. Especially for all the money you pay. The crab cake was definitely yummy. I always love a good crab cake!

Another great update Jerri. I have never tried FF and from your review it doesn't sound like I am missing too much. The description of the chicken entree sounded incredible, it's a shame it was bland I am not sure if the frozen fireworks will be around in December, but would love to see them.

Thanks! FF was a bit of a bummer, but it happens. Win some, lose some I guess. I was so jealous of his chicken when it came out, but when he wasn't thrilled by it I didn't feel so bad. I hope they keep Frozen Fireworks long enough for you to see them! They were so, so awesome!

Sorry your meal at flying fish wasn't better, it's definitely one of or fav places to eat on property. Had to laugh though that our seating preferences are completely opposite and I would have been thrilled with your seat. I prefer to eat at bars or at least up high. Now that we have a child I oh so miss it. I've had the snapper before but don't recollect the leak fondue, agree your portion size looks excessive.

Sunshine seasons is always so good. Never had the Danish though, will have to give that one a whirl sometime as it looks fabulous.

That is too funny about the seating! Rob likes it too, but I hate it for some reason. I can never get comfortable. I would definitely try FF again in the future. So many people love it, so I really feel like maybe we just ordered poorly. I highly recommend the cheese danish anywhere on Disney property. It's always phenomenal!

joining in to hear all about your trip.

Thanks so much for joining in!

Wonderful read!! Thanks for sharing!

Thanks so much for reading along!

I FINALLY got caught up on your wonderful report.

To back it up a bit...you are not the only one who adores Living with the Land. My husband and I think the ride is awesome. Spaceship Earth is a close 2nd. We must be really old!

And as soon as I saw that Rob had cheesecake for breakfast, I looked at my husband and said, "SEE!! Someone else has dessert for breakfast at Disney!! It's so not just me!!" *Mind you, I got an awesome eyeroll and DH's response was a shoulder shrug and a smile*

DH, myself and our girls haven't been to Coral Reef since 2005. My kids were 5 and 7 at the time and our server was terrible. Our waiter took a cigarette break in the midst of our dinner service and didn't feel like talking to us at all except to take our order and ask us if we wanted more tea. After that experience, we never went back. Fast forward 10 years later (we are going in June 2015 for 14 days) we STILL can't seem to find the time to go. But we are more than willing to try it. I am hoping when we go again in 2017 (youngest daughter is graduating from HS) we will be there for another 2-week stint. I think we will try it again, then.

I'm so sorry the gal at the GF Tea was snooty. Nothing beats a sourpuss

And now onto FF...we have never been there so can't form an opinion on it, but your pictures were wonderful and I will take your word for it. We are booking our dining on 12/24 and I have Artist Pointe and Hollywood Brown Derby. We have been to HBD and loved it. Have never done AP. Hoping for a good experience. FF is my alternate if I can't get Be Our Guest for dinner, and with all the subpar reviews as of late here, I may opt for another option (any suggestions?).

Can't wait for your next review!! Sorry I was so long-winded

Living with the Land and Spaceship Earth are the best! I cannot ever get enough of those rides.

I have given up on trying to get him to not eat cheesecake for breakfast. It's really no worse than a donut or a danish I suppose. At least he isn't alone though!

That is too bad about that terrible experience at Coral Reef! I hope you do get to fit it in during your 2017 trip. It's so hard to fit everything in. There's too many great places and not nearly enough time.

Artist Point is fantastic! I love it there! Our service has been odd there both times, which really ruined it for Rob but it didn't bother me as much. I hope you love it! HBD was one of our best experiences this trip. I can't wait to write that review. I didn't love BOG, but we went for lunch. I think I would like dinner so much more. My SIL went there this trip and loved it, so you never know. Jiko could always be an alternate to your alternate. That's probably my favorite signature. I hope you have an awesome time next month!

 

[EmilieK]

Yay a big update! The perfect thing to go with my morning coffee. Please keep them coming.

 

[kastoney]

Ah, see you snuck a bunch of reviews in over the holiday. Sorry work is busy, but glad for the updates.

I'm so with you in Via Napoli. It's our only must do each time as the pizza is simply the best ever. Glad you got Rob to convert over.

MMm so love the idea of a tambu tambu dinner. Drinks, apps, bread pudding. How perfect

 

[DisneyMom2Boyz]

Hi Jeri,
Glad to see you posted some more reviews! I have to say your reviews rock i like Via Napoli but not the rest of the family...not a big fan! I really like it and would like to go again,maybe next trip. Your icecream in France sounds delicious, I have never tried it. I didn't know you can get the bread pudding anywhere other than O'hana. Robs pineapple drink looked good. Can't wait for more reviews to come! Do you have your next trip planned yet?

 

[happy2012]

Tambu has been on our list for food forever. We gotta make that happen! Hubby & I love the drinks there.

 

[Whatsername]

Following along with your report! That picture of the pepperoni pizza has my mouth watering... I definitely have to see if I can squeeze Via Napoli into our plans!

 

[jerseytinkerbell]

Yay a big update! The perfect thing to go with my morning coffee. Please keep them coming.

Lots more coming up today!

Ah, see you snuck a bunch of reviews in over the holiday. Sorry work is busy, but glad for the updates.

I'm so with you in Via Napoli. It's our only must do each time as the pizza is simply the best ever. Glad you got Rob to convert over.

MMm so love the idea of a tambu tambu dinner. Drinks, apps, bread pudding. How perfect

I am a total Via Napoli addict now! It really is the best pizza ever.

Our Tambu dinner was fantastic! I look forward to going there again next trip.

Hi Jeri,
Glad to see you posted some more reviews! I have to say your reviews rock i like Via Napoli but not the rest of the family...not a big fan! I really like it and would like to go again,maybe next trip. Your icecream in France sounds delicious, I have never tried it. I didn't know you can get the bread pudding anywhere other than O'hana. Robs pineapple drink looked good. Can't wait for more reviews to come! Do you have your next trip planned yet?

Too bad the rest of the family isn't a fan of Via Napoli. Hopefully you can convince them to give it another chance. I highly recommend the ice cream! You should definitely check it out next time you are there. The bread pudding was on the menu at Tambu and I have also managed to get it at Kona Cafe as well. I wish we had been able to eat at 'Ohana this trip though. I MUST have it next trip! No trip planned yet. We are trying to decide what to do for vacations in 2015. I would love to do Disney for Christmas next year, but we'll see.

Tambu has been on our list for food forever. We gotta make that happen! Hubby & I love the drinks there.

Tambu was surprisingly awesome! Their food options were fantastic. The menu was small but everything sounded amazing. Hope you get to check it out.

Following along with your report! That picture of the pepperoni pizza has my mouth watering... I definitely have to see if I can squeeze Via Napoli into our plans!

Via Napoli pizza is even better than it looks! I can't recommend it enough. I hope you are able to fit it into your plans.

 

[jerseytinkerbell]

After our meal at Tambu Lounge we went back to the hotel for some pool time and then we waited for our friend to arrive who would be spending the next 24 hours with us. We have a friend from back home who now lives about 2 hours from Orlando and he usually comes to spend a day or two with us every trip. Once he arrived at BLT we all packed in my car and I drove us over to Boardwalk. I was happy to have no issue with parking this time.

We made our way down the boardwalk to ESPN Club.


We were not expecting a big crowd for the Monday night game, but the line was out the door. We got there very close to game time, so I offered to wait in the line so they could stand at the bar and grab a drink and watch kickoff. I'm such a good wife.

We got a seat in the main room within about 15-20 minutes, so it wasn't too bad. We had a view of the game on one of the big screens near the table.


While the boys split a pitcher of beer I order a bottle of my favorite beer. Schofferhofer Grapefruit. Perfect for game day.


It had been a few hours since our Tambu mini meal and we were getting kind of hungry again. We didn't really want a full meal, so we went with appetizers. I got the Pub Nachos For Two - Corn Tortillas, Barbecue Pulled Pork, Chili, Cheddar Cheese Sauce, Sour Cream, Jalapeno, Pico de Gallo, and Cheddar.


Yum! These nachos were totally awesome! I loved the pulled pork on them. I totally should have paid attention to the 'For Two' aspect in the title. These were huge! I couldn't even finish them by the time the game was done.

Rob got the Overtime Fries - A generous portion of French Fries topped with Chili and Cheddar Cheese.


Rob really enjoyed these. He struggled to finish his appetizer as well.

The atmosphere was seriously entertaining. There were two 'gentleman' who had a few too many drinks. They were funny though and really didn't bother anyone, so it was much more funny than annoying. Plus, they were Eagles fans so they high fived us every time they walked by our table. It was a total trip. And also, the Eagles won! So that made the evening even better. We had to end the evening with a victory selfie.


I looking forward to coming back for these nachos and another sporting event. This was a really fun time and the service was great. ESPN Club was a win!