May the Fork Be With You - Complete. Symphony in the Sky Galactic Dessert Party

[AuroraMeansDawn]

I think it is a hidden Mickey - I doubt they do much "by accident" there.

I can't wait to read more!

I agree Oaster - I think it's by design.

Great review! I agree with you, it is a Hidden Mickey. The shape is to perfect not to be.

The votes are in! It's a Hidden Mickey - I found some other super cool ones as the trip continues too!

 

[AuroraMeansDawn]

Tuesday - UnDISCOVEREd Future World Backstage Tour Part I - more trip reportish than dining related but I'll toss in a meal to make it relevant ​

After a few more favorites at DHS I claimed my plate, grabbed a cab and headed back to the Gaylord Palms a glorious hotel with a huge assortment of dining options which is why I stopped at the gift shop for a half bottle of unremarkable Chardonnay and waited for DH to finish his day and ordered Dominoes Pizza (see that is dining related) so we could get off our feet and watch a little TV and catch up on each others day (mine was more fun)

Besides I had to be up early because I was going to start my day with my Epcot Tour - this thread will be pic heavy and somewhat food light as food isn't part of this tour. If you don't want to see super mega awesome behind the scenes photos of limited VIP access lounges and spots around Future World as retold by a super nerdy Disfan, geeking out, this is your chance to just keep swimming and move along.

AVAST - Spoilery stuff lies ahead.

First of all I wasn't sure how long it would take to get to Epcot so I fueled myself with a Starbucks from the Gaylord coffee shop and a banana and got a cab and 19.00 later I was at bag check at 8:20 am for my 9:00 tour. It said to check in 15 minutes early so that worked. I made it through bag check and observed some film crews setting up for shooting at the front of the park near the Huey Dewey and Louie topiaries. From the shirts I believe Kelly Rippa and Michael Straihan will be in the parks or were in the past few days.

It was a beautiful morning and I checked in and received my name tag and the guy filling them out writes in the Disney font. It's not so apparant on mine as it was on those with a y in their name it you can see it in the D. I wonder if that is part of some training in guest services.

I had some time so I popped over to Fountainview for a little more coffee and took an outside seat at the Electric Umbrella to wait for it to be time and got a call from my son who is at college in Texas. He is a Resident Leader and had to stay and work over spring break or he would have been with me. Some residents don't go home for the break but all of his had so he was just doing admin duties and Texas was having some bad storms and the power was out and he called to tell me the tornado sirens were sounding. Six tornados touched down in north Texas that morning including one near him. My morning was less peaceful then. Thankfully he was ok and despite the press box being ripped off the stadium and some trees being uprooted there were no injuries thank goodness. It was a blessing most students were gone for the break. There are six confirmed tornados that touched down that day. I calmed him as best I could and told him I loved him - what else can you do from a distance?

So with these images in my head I walked to the check in kiosk right next to the storm exhibit in Innoventions West. How is that for irony? The day gets better but that gave me more of a jolt than the Starbucks!

And so we started the tour and I was a bit distracted but it all turned out ok. Throughout the first bit I kept getting Code Purple notices from and messages from other faculty members at his school and surrounding campuses. I knew he was fine and all but it was disconcerting and I really wished I wasn't solo at the moment. It sounds silly but as I left Epcot I stopped at the monolith and found the etching of him and his sister and pressed my fingers to it and felt better. Btw here they are if you wondered.

FYI those babies are 21 and 26 now and it was nice to have a literal "touchstone" when I needed it.

Ok so I have digressed quite a bit and it was a little emotional but it all turned out ok so back to the tour.

We were a group of 10 - eight were a group from the Dominican Republic and did not speak much English and then there was an older gentleman from VA and myself. Our guide was Dustin who was absolutely charming and delightful. Hello Dustin!

Dustin began our tour in guest relations with a brief history of the Florida Project and Walt's vision for EPCOT and how it transformed after he passed and I won't spoil that for you if you do not know the story. We had a group member translate all that to Spanish for the rest of her group and we then went backstage. Dustin showed us how CMs would clock in and took us back to a locker where he retrieved an animatronic head. I asked if I could photograph it and he said "I am sorry but no, but if you like you can make its eyes move if that will help." Well, it didn't not help and it certainly wouldn't hurt so I tried it and it was quite a giddy silly moment! Geeking out.

I think at that moment he realized he had a serious nerd on his hands and he catered to that too. (A nerdy Disney fan on a back stage tour at EPCOT? Say it isn't so!) So we explored that area and then went outside and stopped beside Spaceship Earth. He gave us a brief history of Spaceship Earth and discussed the gutter system in it and the trapdoor at the top ands one background on the construction and how deep the piers are into the ground level to hold it etc. And then I asked him "Is it in your bag?" And he laughed and said "Yes and you can hold it" and he pulled out the piece of Alucabond - the carbon alluminum alloy that is the material that Spaceship Earth is made from.

And her I am enjoying a moment with it.

I never realized that Ray Bradbury wrote the story behind Spaceship Earth about the pathway between communication and the evolution of man. Cool factoid.

We went to the front of the line and all rode Spaceship Earth and Dustin pointed out the man and child musicians that are identical animatronics to the ones in Carousel of Progress. Also there is a story to why the newsboy now faces backwards - does anyone know it? He also pointed out the stairway that leads to the hatch on top where they can access the sphere for cleaning. It's largely self cleaning unless something devastating occurs like singing from a lightning strike etc.

After returning to terra firma we ventured over to The Living Seas and then the Land Pavilion. We discussed how the pavilions on the East side of the park are curved and organic and resemble nature and the music is also softer and more mellow as opposed to the opposite side where it is technological and the planters are pointed and have edges and the music has a more staccato rapid feel. The Living Seas Building represents the ocean, of course, with flowing lines and shades of blue and green. It currently does not have a sponsor so we were able to visit the VIP lounge Living Seas Conference Center which can be rented for events. Birthday Party Anyone?

Inside the Living Seas Pavilion we found amazing aquatic views, an acrylic piano, a hidden Mickey on the floor of the aquarium and a photo bombing sea turtle. Did you Know the glass panels are held in by water pressure and if the tank was drained they would fall in?

See the hidden Mickey?

At the Land pavilion we discussed it looking like a volcano and how the cement and flower beds represent lava flows. The mosaic murals on either side are identical save for one tile too and they represent the strata of the earth.

Ignoring my organic finger in the frame can you see the volcano and lava?

The organic Strata layers that include 14k gold inlay

And the small difference of one tile on the right - an emerald tile representing the artists child's birthstone

To locate it find the Land Sign on the right and look to the left of the sign near the top in the gold layer

cont in next post

 

[AuroraMeansDawn]

UnDISCOVERed Future World - the sequel aka we finally get to some Disney Dining at Sunshine Seasons.

Inside the Land Pavillion we discussed the streamers and dreamers in the dome representing sunshine even if it rains and looked down to see how each of the four seating areas inside Sunshine Seaons quick service represent each of the four seasons. Winter is the smallest as most people come to Florida to get away from winter.

See the rays of sunshine?

And the distinct dining areas?

We got a 15 minute break and I was starving so I grabbed a quick Cuban pressed sandwich with salted plantain chips. It was a hot pressed sandwich with boiled ham, sliced pork, Swiss cheese, mustard, dill pickles and lettuce on Cuban bread. The bread was soft on the inside and buttery and crispy on the outside with nice charred grill marks. It was full of fork tender pork and boiled ham separate by melted Swiss cheese, mustard and shredded lettuce with crispy fresh dill pickle planks. I cut it in half and stashed some for later in my bag and grabbed a quick seat to enjoy the other half. It was delicious! Unique and tasty. The bread is a little softer than the authentic Cuban bread I've had from smaller batch bakeries and it is not quite as crunchy and crisp as the authentic ones I have had in Miami but still very good. It might be a little too much mustard for some but I liked it and it was messy. The Swiss cheese was a good quality buttery Swiss not the overly processed sort. I hadn't seen this on the menu before and think it was a great addition. The plantain chips were crispy and not greasy at all. I shared them with the rest of our group and they liked them too. I also grabbed a bottle of water. We had been walking quite a while and they give you one at the beginning of the tour but it was time for another! I think it was $13.59 and is certainly big enough to share.

In the wrapper

An open view

Inside of the sandwich

After finishing our break we went backstage and saw the construction on the new Soarin' - they are adding a theater and it's nearly done. We talked about the history of the ride then walked back to an area where they clean all the 3D glasses for all the attractions in the parks which was kind of cool and then came out by the Imagination Pavillion and talked about the Potted Fountains that splash around and the history of the Friendship Fountain and then crossed the park to the spot in front of the Wonders of Life Pavilion that used to mark the center of WDWthe prior to the most recent DAK and other park area expansions. Here he is standing on it. You can find it as it is a circle in the concrete with the lotus blossom design around it. There is no longer a plaque in the spot.

We then moved the front of Mission to a Mars and Dustin pointed out this fun Hidden Mickey in the pavement and explained the significance of the sculptures in front of the Pavillion and how they represent earths space exploration from the moon to the rocket leaving earth towards Mars and witn Jupiter resting in next in line. Fun factoid - the Mars exhibit is painted with trademarked Harley Davidson Orange paint.

Hidden Mickey

Lunar Landing Sites

We then were able to visit the Hewlet Packard VIP Lounge - no photos allowed but it was very cool and then went back stage under Test Track and stood under the track as cars raced overhead. There is a special ball bearing structured support system and you can watch the track shake on the base. We then walked by the automotive bay garage and back around to the Chevrolet VIP Lounge, again photo free, and then we bypassed a 90 minute standby line and hopped onto Test Track for an exhilarating ride!

From Test Track we continued backstage through the employee lounge, credit union and locker room. In the hallway they have squares of carpeting from all of the resorts in an area with heavy foot traffic to test their durability. We then went into the costuming warehouse and saw how CMs acquire their costumes and how they are checked out via RFID chips and then to the costuming warehouse and wig room where I spotted two exciting artifacts! The mustard jar from Food Rocks and Sebastian's Shell!

Finally we went back to the boat launch for the Illuminations barges and heard the history of Illuminations and how they deploy the fireworks.

And lastly we were given a commerative pin with the name of the tour and featuring Figment and found our our names had been added to the list to watch Illuminations from the VIP viewing area near the Italy Pavillion.

The cost of this tour was $64 and it included two front of the line attractions access, VIP viewing for fireworks, a pin and lots of backstage VIP access and Dustin did a great job. We started at 9 am and finished at 1:25 pm and at nearly 5 1/2 hours that 15 minute break wasn't long enough. It's a ton of walking and I cannot imagine doing this in the summer with one bottle of water and not many significant breaks or shaded areas. I wish it had included a quick service break like the Keys to the Kingdom tour does. It is fascinating and fun but needs some sit down time in the shade.

It might be more fun for a die hard fan who has been to EPCOT a few times and wants to know more. It may not be so fun if you're a casual fan and just want to ride Test Track and Soarin' and to move on to the next item the touring plan says to do because it is about details and hearkens back to when EPCOT had the heart of the Coolest Science Museum on the Planet before it began to have all the child friendly changes made to it. Now I like kids and I do understand it needing to be kid friendly because it did used to have the feel of an adult park but I liked it that way and my kids had fun at it in the early 90s when we just saw it as a more low key day without tons of Mickey Magic. It's still one of my favoirite spots in the world though and learning more about it did not diminish any of the magic because it's EPCOT so it isn't magic anyway - it's science!

Dustin made it so much fun! He is a great guide and very knowledgeable. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in the history of EPCOT and its hidden secrets. Hope you enjoyed traveling with me!

After all of that I headed to the front of the park to hop in the monorail for my tea time ADR but rewarded my hard waking with a glass of Chardonnay from the Norway booth in front of the construction. It's seen here daintily perched on a waste receptacle.

Next up - Gardenview Tea Room at the Grand Floridian.

 

[auntfrannie]

Nice! I've never seen a review of the this tour before. But you have to come back and tell us why the newsboy has his back to us. I always thought it just quit working and rather than fix it, Disney just turned it around!

 

[AuroraMeansDawn]

Nice! I've never seen a review of the this tour before. But you have to come back and tell us why the newsboy has his back to us. I always thought it just quit working and rather than fix it, Disney just turned it around!

I hope you enjoyed it. I posted a review because I found so few of them and wanted to give back to so many who have helped me plan along the way.

We asked him why the newsboy was now backwards and he said basically the same thing it possibly broke and was then turned around but also said when they did a CM only tour of the attraction they were told they could not go around and view the front of him so......it sounds mysterious LOL. But it likely just quit working and that was an efficient and easy fix that didn't significantly deter from the attraction.

Ps I have heard a rumor he has no face- now that is disturbing esp if you say it in his new low voice.

 

[DisneyJo]

What a great review. The tour sounds really great but as we're going in August it may be too hot It definitely sounds as though they need to add in another break though!

 

[NOLA_Tink]

Thanks for sharing your awesome reviews! I'm really enjoying reading them while DS is taking a nap. I've always overlooked the Undiscovered Epcot tour, but now I really want to sign up for our Nov trip. Happy belated bday!!

 

[AuroraMeansDawn]

Tea Time at the Garden View Tea Room at the Grand Floridian
​

Because this was my perpetual birthday trip and I was solo this day I thought a lovely cup of tea and some trifle sounded like a perfect way to end the day. I was weary from my long morning tour at Epcot so I made my way to the front of the park and hopped aboard a monorail to the TTC and then transferred to the resort monorail and I was off to the Grand Floridian. I stopped at the restroom and combed my hair and ditched my cap and freshened my lipstick and felt nearly new again and headed to the back of the lobby to this lovely spot.

I checked in right on time and was told to wait a moment so I took advantage of a few moments to admire the lobby and the huge bouquets of fresh flowers and the handpainted chocolate egg telling the story of Sleeping Beauty in front of the tea room. It seems only logical with my screen name I would have to enjoy it.

Flora, Fauna and Merriweather - are they not adorable? They always remind me of that sweet and scattered aunt we all have who gives age inappropriate gifts and is our favorite!

And of course the dashing Prince Charming

And the info on the design

Some menu shots of the lovely offerings.

And a peaceful moment taking in the elegant ambiance - now here is an odd little note. I had always thought they served on Royal Daulton's lower end line Royal Albert's Old Country Roses dinner wear but it seems I was wrong and it is a German Dishmaker. A cabbage rose by any other name still contained my sweets.

I chose the Derbyshire because a glass of Veuve Cliquot sounded like a lovely accompaniment for my weeklong birthday celebration. I selected a white tea with notes of fig and Rose and it was lovely. My server was Michelle and I must say she was practically perfect in every way. Friendly but not overly familiar and kind and respectful of my desire to sit quietly and enjoy my solitude. She suggested the Englishr trifle "if you like the flavors of banana and caramel" and promptly brought me "my bubbles"' and brought out my tea pot and poured the lovely delicate tea and covered it with the too wonderful for words tea cozy pictured below.

And this lovely tri tiered tower of yumminess. On the bottom we have lavash crisp with Tilamook cheddar, and the other cheese, the green one had a bite but I cannot recall what it was. Perhaps someone here has done this and remembers, classic cucumber tea sandwich, egg salad, curried chicken salad and fruit.

The middle layer had a warm golden raisin scone and a strawberry tart. I am a rebel so I started here mainly because the scone was warm and it seemed a shame to not enjoy it whilst still warm with a luscious dollop of Devonshire cream and I then enjoyed the strawberry tart with some lemon curd. So lovely. The other topping was apricot jam and I passed on that.

The top layer was the gorgeous English Trifle and we all should just take a moment of silence to enjoy it's beauty. Taking Michelle's advice I dipped my spoon straight down so I could get to the lady fingers all in one bite. It wa pillows of lady fingers and lush cream and rich custard with hints of caramel and banana. I loved every bite though I could not come close to finishing it! It's too much for one person!

Finally my check came and Michelle brought with it this beautiful long stemmed pink rose!

Would I do this again? Not on a short trip. It was a sweet indulgence but perhaps it was one of the few times I felt lonesome dining alone. So many lovely mothers and daughters or granddaughters. It was sweet and special and perhaps, for me, it is an event I would prefer to be shared. At $50 plus tax it is for special occasions but I am glad I did it and I did enjoy it very much

 

[AuroraMeansDawn]

What a great review. The tour sounds really great but as we're going in August it may be too hot It definitely sounds as though they need to add in another break though!

The joy of it not working out timing wise for one trip is that you can always add it to the list for th next one!

Thanks for sharing your awesome reviews! I'm really enjoying reading them while DS is taking a nap. I've always overlooked the Undiscovered Epcot tour, but now I really want to sign up for our Nov trip. Happy belated bday!!

Thanks NOLA and if you you add it on yours I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. I noticed you said you had one napping so the caveat might be I think the tour at 5 hours might be too long and technical for a little one but you know your kiddos best and what they can handle! Thanks for reading along!

 

[MickeyReeds]

Thanks for the wonderful review of you afternoon tea! I didn't realize that there were some many choices to make!

 

[disneymom06]

I love your review! Happy Birthday!

 

[kastoney]

n our family I have tried to get to Kona or Captain Cooke's on so many trips and something always has come up to the point it is now a family joke. I now intentionally do not even attempt to get Tonga Toast so I always have a reason to go back.

So we can expect loads of Tonga Toast on this trip, right?

It's a big sandwich and it looked like it was going to be a great nutty grainy bread colonial inspired bread and it LOOKED like it was too but it was just yeasty and a little sweet - if held up but the seeds were for decoration not a flavor indication. They ended up all over my hands. The pork was tender and yummy and with the promise of the sweetness of carmelized shallots balancing off the peppery arugula and pickled jalapeños I think it would be a good base. But maybe I thought there would be more pop from the description.

My hubby had this on our last trip and enjoyed it, but there were no jalapeños on it then. I can see how you would be disappointed if the flavor wasn't there.

Yummy, a little too sweet for me but the ice cream fixes that and while not a life changing experience it changed my afternoon and I declare it pretty darn good. I brightened up and paid the bill with a smile and decided that my lackluster sandwich was an experience that left me more room for snacks later. There is a perk right?

I'll forgive it not changing your life, but only because there is the promise of that in a bit ; )

So now we can say we have done it and I had hoped to get a snack at Aunt Pollys but alas it was closed but we did enjoy some non traditional seating for the Festival of Fantasy Parade - watched from a distance in two rocking chairs. It wasn't too bad at all.

What a cool place to watch the parade. Never would have thought of it.

One Dole Whip of Perfection for me and one Dole Whip Float for Jess. It made us new again in the way only a refreshing pineapply treat of perfection can do!

Nothing to recharge you like a dole whip. Expect of course a dole whip with rum ; )

Good morning from a quiet room at the Gaylord Palms - and I need to pay some homage to this amazing hotel. It is a huge glass environment full of gardens and ponds and themed restaurants.

Thats great to hear about the Gaylord. I'm due to travel down there in May for a conference.

So we procured a sweet cream cheese pretzel and a Diet Coke and headed to the People Mover - which was closed. So we sat on a wall near the People Mover and a miracle occurred. While Jess had not found the Ooey Hooey Toffee cake or the Dole Whip life changing he fell in love with this beauty - the sweet cream cheese pretzel.

Glad he found something he loved. Sorry you couldn't get quite the full pretzel on the pooper experience.

It was a wonderful special occasion splurge and if anyone is nervous about doing it as a solo travel - don't be! It was really welcoming and fun.

Wow, this looks like an awesome experience. Sounds like your imagineer had some great stories to share. And the food doesn't look half bad either ; )

The cost of this tour was $64 and it included two front of the line attractions access, VIP viewing for fireworks, a pin and lots of backstage VIP access and Dustin did a great job. We started at 9 am and finished at 1:25 pm and at nearly 5 1/2 hours that 15 minute break wasn't long enough. It's a ton of walking and I cannot imagine doing this in the summer with one bottle of water and not many significant breaks or shaded areas. I wish it had included a quick service break like the Keys to the Kingdom tour does. It is fascinating and fun but needs some sit down time in the shade.

I didn't even know this existed. Thanks for the insight. It looks really cool

YUM!!!!!!

 

[NOLA_Tink]

Thanks NOLA and if you you add it on yours I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. I noticed you said you had one napping so the caveat might be I think the tour at 5 hours might be too long and technical for a little one but you know your kiddos best and what they can handle! Thanks for reading along!

Thankfully, my DMom always wants to join us in WDW. (Really, the truth is that she won't let us go without her. ) I was thinking this would be a fun thing to do when she wants to kidnap DSon for her grandson/grandma day. Thanks for the warning- just in case!!

 

[AuroraMeansDawn]

Thankfully, my DMom always wants to join us in WDW. (Really, the truth is that she won't let us go without her. ) I was thinking this would be a fun thing to do when she wants to kidnap DSon for her grandson/grandma day. Thanks for the warning- just in case!!

That is so awesome. My mom passed before my kids were born so I get mushy about those special moments with grandparents. That is so precious and if that is the case then I say go for it! It's really entertaining and engaging if you like that kind of thing!

 

[AuroraMeansDawn]

Thanks for the wonderful review of you afternoon tea! I didn't realize that there were some many choices to make!

Thanks MickeyR! There aren't that many choices of packages to order but choosing the actual tea was overwhelming. I like white tea at home and love rose scents so the one I chose suited me as it was delicate and I never do Earl Grey because I don't care for the taste of bergamot but it's one big two page list of teas! I hope if you do it you have as nice of a time as I did!

I love your review! Happy Birthday!

Thank you so much! I hope you find something useful that helps you on a future trip!

So we can expect loads of Tonga Toast on this trip, right?

Ha! If I ever make it to Kona I'm having macadamia pancakes anyway! Don't go telling on me but I don't think I would even like Tonga Toast.

My hubby had this on our last trip and enjoyed it, but there were no jalapeños on it then. I can see how you would be disappointed if the flavor wasn't there.

Maybe I was missing something. I just felt like it was soggy and I wanted some peppery bite but it doesn't ruin it for me for all time. I think I want to try the Skipper Canteen next time though because despite it being a little off center for the mass appeal menu I think I could have fun there.

I'll forgive it not changing your life, but only because there is the promise of that in a bit ;
Nothing to recharge you like a dole whip. Expect of course a dole whip with rum ; )


I have to admit other Disney items didn't change my life either. Toffee cake was good and I love Dole Whips in a way he clearly didn't understand but other "change your life items" didn't do it for me either. I don't like Schoolbread in Norway and I thought Zebra domes were ok but would be great with a huge shot of coffee liqueur in the middle. I do rather love the PB&J shake at 50sPTC -- But that pretzel was fantastic and since trying the Dole Whip with spiced rum at F&G a few years ago at Pineapple Promenade I have tried to recreate that at home!

What a cool place to watch the parade. Never would have thought of it.

It's not bad if you dont mind watching from a distance. It was a good place to relax and Jess had neck surgery about a month ago so I try not to insert him into crowds and used his and my FP+ for 7DMT because I'm a good wife like that and wanted to protect him.

Thats great to hear about the Gaylord. I'm due to travel down there in May for a conference.

It is pretty and a unique concept. Remember how Walt wanted to put a glass dome all over EPCOT so it was weather resistant and consistent. The Gaylord achieves that and also much like WDW they try to hold you on property by having everything from a yogurt shoppe and a coffee shop to some higher end shopping items to cool bars and steak houses. Everything is over priced too so you'll feel like you're at WDW! If you plan to visit parks while you are there, their "free shuttle" is the Mears shuttle that stops at multiple resorts and takes forever and doesn't run very often. I found I could hail a cab and get to most parks for about $18-20 and my time and sanity was worth the price. It is a lovely place and I walked the booth crawl once and the convention space is lovely. They have really nice toiletries too. I didn't bother with the spa because I own one in Texas and going to get a spa treatment on vacation is like going to work for me. Crazy right?


Glad he found something he loved. Sorry you couldn't get quite the full pretzel on the pooper experience.

You are indeed a life changing hero to him!


Wow, this looks like an awesome experience. Sounds like your imagineer had some great stories to share. And the food doesn't look half bad either ; )

I know you had a less than stellar Brown Derby meal but this was a pretty safe line up of their standards. I will say if I ordered grapefruit cake by itsself I would have been bitterly disappointed. It would have been life changing and it would a negative change!

I didn't even know this existed. Thanks for the insight. It looks really cool
Give it a try if you like the historical sides of the parks. I learned quite a few things I didn't know before. One fact I left out - do you know why Figment's home in the Imagination Pavilion looks like a greenhouse? Because that Pavilion was originally intended to be the Land Pavilion but they changed their minds after it was half built and decided to build the pavilion next to it as the volcano/greenhouse hybrid and decided to put the imagination in the greenhouse later. So that one little spark can grow!

YUM!!!!!!

Thanks for all the fun replies! It makes it worth doing these to know we are all sharing and a community that works together and uses wit and sarcasm to create a better experience for us all!

 

[Nohal]

Great reviews and pictures. Lots of info and great pictures from the tour.

 

[LinderInWonderland]

I am SO happy you picked the fig and rose tea! It's the one I would have picked as well. Rose teas are always my favorite but I have never had it in a white tea. I must say I am pleasantly surprised by the prices for the different tea menus. When I lived in Boston, I often went to the Ritz Carlton for tea. 15 years ago, the tea with champagne was $35, so it seems quite reasonable for Disney to charge $50 with a glass of Veuve. I only like the Veuve Demi-Sec, so I would probably skip the champagne if I went to GF for tea, but that just looked excellent. (I eat the scones when they are warm, too. Seems such a waste, otherwise!)

 

[TeresaNJ]

Thank you so much for sharing! I loved all your reviews and photos. I did the tea once with my bff when we did a girls' only trip a few years go. I think I may do this with my husband on our upcoming trip, although I don't know if he'd be that keen on it, lol.

 

[AuroraMeansDawn]

Breakfast at the Garden Grill ​

I had planned to sleep in but there is no sleeping in at Disney for me. My eyes flew open at like 5: 30 am and I knew it was my last day so I played a bit with the MDE app and thought about a Cape May breakfast since I knew our evening would be at DHS for the fireworks party but it broke the "done it before" rule so when an acceptable time at Garden Grill popped up I grabbed it. It's not technically a cheat as I have been here but only for lunch and that was in 1999 so surely it had changed (not by much) so breakfast is still a new experience so I strapped on my walking shoes, pulled my Disney Vera Bradley bag over my shoulder and set out early to cab it over to Epcot.

FYI - the Gaylord Palms is gorgeous and it does have a free shuttle but it is Mears and they make multiple stops and the times were not alway conducive to what I wanted to do so a $20 cab ride is a small price for the freedom to come and go as I pleased. I really was missing Disney transportation though. DME and interpark transportation options are something I appreciate more now that I have stayed off site.

I am sure most of you know this but there is a huge new grouping of solar panels outside of Epcot and from an Arial view they are, of course, a hidden Mickey. I have another new favorite hidden Mickey to report on soon so stay tuned! Like seriously -- the coolest one I have ever seen!

They don't look very hidden Mickeyesque here

Soon I arrived in a pre-park opening Epcot and wandered through the amazing smells and sights and flowers to the Land Pavillion. There really is nothing like the peaceful walk and the music.

And it smells so amazing too! And then I arrived here --

To enjoy --

I approached the podium a bit early but they could seat me right away so I stepped onto the slowly revolving platform and was seated in a booth next to a huge family of adorable preschoolers and their parents and grandparents and they were having so much fun and the mom was pregnant and had on a shirt with the Deathstar on her tummy that read "That's no moon" that made me laugh so I knew they were my kind of people. They wished me a happy birthday and kindly offered to take pics for me since I was alone but I decided to opt for then"selfie fan girl" experience. Because I have done tons of character
meals I like that my pics have a more friendly intimate feel to them for this occasion. I mean I have a selfie with Mickey! How fun is that? And I also am a bit of a caffeine fiend so I really needed some coffee before I could socially function.

Some selfie fun with Chip

However, I think it is an interesting social phenomenon that at Disney many people adopt the "we are all here for the magic, so let's be kind" approach and some are more guarded some take the "back off - don't talk to me or make eye contact." I am a people person but my DH is an engineer and more of an introvert so I understand both. It's just interesting to watch.

All told I prefer the former and try to be the former even if it is just leaving a penny or three on the edge of the Snow White's Wishing Well so a harried mom doesn't have to dig out change, sharing a giveaway Mickey sticker with a bored kid in line (yes I ask mom or dad first) complimenting a pair of clearly carefully chosen Mickey ears or an Elsa shirt or princess dress.

In fact, on this trip I found a Mr Potatohead ear (the pirate one w an earring) in the pocket of my suitcase obviously that had fallen out from a past "stuff the box with parts" souvenir at Once Upon a Toy. I had tossed it in my park bag so I would remember to put it in my Potatohead bin at home and so it wouldn't go back on the shelf in the suitcase. Later that day I happened upon a little girl at Star Wars Launch Bay who was trying to trade with Jawas and was having no luck. I watched a while and after falling short with things in her Moms bag - a pencil, a cough drop, an antibacterial wipe, a Pluto sticker and I was chatting w her mom as the cough drop was rejected and she said "no food items" and it was becoming a little frustrating for all when I remembered the ear in my bag (that sounds creepy) and offered it to her to try. Success! I was thrilled for her as it was clearly frustrating her. So maybe that random piece of plastic made her day.

So as long as I am meandering off topic if you wonder why I had Potato Body parts - I collect Mr Potatoheads. The Star Tours ones started it and you may not know this but there are many amusing collectors editions from Frylo Ren to Taters of the Lost Ark to Spud Lightyear. I have Dr Who and Wizard of Oz and Kiss and Elvis and Marvel ones and the Breaking Bad antihero Friesenberg. It's a silly grouping but fun and relatively inexpensive so kids can usually find one for birthdays or Mother's Day. My Facebook friends always take a pic with Mr Potatohead at TSMM or in Disney Springs and tag me. I am always sent Mr Potatohead cartoons - And I did get a current one for my birthday - Deadpeel. So anyway here is a photo of part of my crazy collector obsession and then back to breakfast.

Breakfast is served family style so I enjoyed having huge platters for one brought to me! My server was Thomas and he really was friendly and efficient and sweet. I am fairly low maintenance but he was having none of that and made sure I was very well treated and had everything I needed. I was wearing my birthday button so that may have factored in.

Here is some Mango Orange juice and coffee. You might spy my breakfast buddy too.

And here is a crazy huge platter of warm gooey cinnamon rolls that no single person should be able to eat! Thomas suggested I dip the fork in and get the middle one so I did just that. Wise man, that Thomas! I also was given a big bowl of fruit and this time the melon was ripe and the berries were sweet and I am going to pretend that the strawberries grew downstairs in Living With the Land because I like the idea of it. Don't tell me the truth if they come in from a big produce supply company. I like my version of reality.

This fruit looks yummier and fresher than than what I had been served before and it was ripe and sweet and tasty.

So fortified with fresh coffee, fruit and carby goodness and the high recommendation from the four year old boy at the table next to me that I "get the Mickey waffle and eat the ears first" I awaited my big platter of harvest goodness.

It was loaded with scrambled eggs, bacon, ham, potato barrels (which is Disney Speak for tots) and Mickey Waffles with chocolate hazelnut (Chip and Dale serving Nutella! Priceless!) sauce. This was almost humorously large for one person too! But i put a Mickey waffle on my plate and dutifully filled in his ears with ganache so I could "eat the ears first" because my buddy at the next table told me that was the best way. He also was sad that my coffee didn't have a light up Tink and tried to give me his. Sweet boy. I declined.

They headed out to start their day and after a syrupy and unasked for but much appreciated happy birthday hug I was left alone to eat and watch the world slowly roll by and I was visited by a few silly chipmunks, a loyal dog who was polite enough not to begbto be fed from the table and my favorite Farmer mouse who is adorable in his denim overalls. A few supervisors came by to see if I needed photo assistance but I was just fine and as slowly as the restaurant turned my caffeine as kicking in.

Breakfast was good and hot and plentiful- emphasis on plentiful - with the ubiquitous fluffy Disney scrambled eggs. I don't know why but scrambled eggs just taste better at WDW. I took a nibble of the bacon and it was thick cut and salty and a little too limp for me but the ham was delicious. And maybe I was feeling like a kid again but I was digging into the potatoes. I don't always like Disney homefries as they tend to be oily but these tots were crispy and perfectly salted and yummy! And it is sacrilege but I only ate half a Mickey waffle and only one ear. The chocolate hazelnut ganache is good but not thick so kind of chocolate syrup consistency with a much richer taste but with with sweet rolls and waffles and fruit I was in sweets overload. What this breakfast needed was a non sweet bread - a biscuit maybe.

So, breakfast managed I asked for my check, but instead heard much whooping and hollering and Thomas and two CM friends returned to the table along with Dale, who conducted, and sang Happy Birthday with piece of lovely chocolate mousse cake and a candle and Mickey sprinkles as well as a signed birthday card. And then they decoded to sing it backwards so they turned their backs and sang. Then they decided to sing the short version and dropped to their knees and sang. By this time my low key birthday breakfast had me laughing out loud and I was so touched I didn't even grumble when I paid $30 plus tax and a very generous gratuity for being so sweet to me! I had not really expected any of the hoopla and it was a lovely magical moment.

Next up some snacking around the World Showcase and a few F&G treats.

 

[AuroraMeansDawn]

Great reviews and pictures. Lots of info and great pictures from the tour.

Thank you so much. I hope I am not oversharing but I had such a lovely time and want to help others they way they have helped me by writing great reviews!

I am SO happy you picked the fig and rose tea! It's the one I would have picked as well. Rose teas are always my favorite but I have never had it in a white tea. I must say I am pleasantly surprised by the prices for the different tea menus. When I lived in Boston, I often went to the Ritz Carlton for tea. 15 years ago, the tea with champagne was $35, so it seems quite reasonable for Disney to charge $50 with a glass of Veuve. I only like the Veuve Demi-Sec, so I would probably skip the champagne if I went to GF for tea, but that just looked excellent. (I eat the scones when they are warm, too. Seems such a waste, otherwise!)

I see you get it too! The golden raisin scone is really nice and the white tea is less acidic and let's the floral notes shine. And the Veuve Cliquot is lovely it if I had my preference I would have had a glass of Moet & Chandon because I really like a dry wine and seriously for daily non special bottles Chandon does the job. We jokingly call it a great second bottle for celebrations too! I am so pleased you enjoyed the review

Thank you so much for sharing! I loved all your reviews and photos. I did the tea once with my bff when we did a girls' only trip a few years go. I think I may do this with my husband on our upcoming trip, although I don't know if he'd be that keen on it, lol.

Hi and thanks for following me! I would love to do it again but I think my DH would consider it misery - but you never know! When we cruise my 21 year old son (6'2" and played offensive line and is Gaston kinda manly) loves to go to tea with me when we have at sea days. He loves tea sandwiches! Go figure!