Monorail Drink-A-Thon

[Aidensmom]

OK, I have DH all excited now about an actual monorail drink-a-thon for our trip next month. What are your must-have drinks at each stop? I am allergic to pineapple, so if all your favorites contain pineapple juice, can you also recommend something for me that won't require an accompanying drip of Benadryl?

Thanks! I know you all are gonna give me some great suggestions

(Not one of my favorite pictures, but at least I am finally able to post one.)

 

[1MegMeg]

Aidensmom - I don't know too much about any "special" Disney drinks, but I'll give you some of my regular favorites. Hopefully someone can chime in with some of th Disney treats. Some of my favorite drinks..... raspberry stoli and sprite, dirty martini, sour apple martinis, and of course, beer and wine.

~~~~~

This coming weekend (6/3-6/5) DH and I are headed to Port Orleans FQ for our first anniversary. Over this weekend we decided, as a special anniversary treat, to go to Jiko for dinner on Saturday night. I am so excited! I've read lots of posts in here about it and it sounds amazing.

Hope everyone is having a terrific long weekend!

 

[wildernesslodgelover]

Aidensmom_YAY! We got to see a pic of you! And even though it is a bit dark, I can see the Vanna White/Princess Di connection!

Megmeg-*sigh* I am so jealous. I was thisclose *WLL holding up forefinger and thumb about 1/4 centimeter apart* to hitting MK on Friday, but alas, my plans have gotten messed up. I was gonna meet two of my favorite lushes (Minnie and ahhhh) but..... it was not meant to be.

I think you will LOOOOVE Jiko. It is awesome. Please post a complete review when you get back! Also, have you stayed at POFQ berfore? I am interested in trying that resort one day, so I would love to hear you opinions.

 

[ctrabada]

OK, just got back from our first weekend at SSR as DVC members. We really loved it. We had a studio in a bldg close to the main pool with a beautiful view of a courtyard and lake. We enjoyed sitting in our balcony watching the fountain in the lake while drinking sangria (or coffee in the morning).

We checked in on Sat around 8:30 am; our room wasn't ready but they told us which one was our building so we parked and took the bus to MGM Studios. Arrived at opening and went straight to the Star Tours area and was among the first to ride Star Tours. DD loved it! Spent quite some time (and $!) at the store (there was a line to get in so we took advantage that we got to shop upon exiting the ride). We then went to WWTBAM Star Wars edition. We enjoyed it. By then, we were hungry and decided to eat at Prime Time Cafe (no PS) but could not get through due to the parade... so we watched it... it is a bit lame, but.... I'm a fan, so I liked anyway.... Since we didn't have a PS, put our name down and decided to wait in the lounge... We barely finished our beers (Corona for me and Yiengling for DH) when they called us (it was 11:45 am, kinda early, but we got up at 7:00 am so we were hungry). Had a really good time there (and another beer, Amber Bock). The servers were fantastic. My DH and I both had the fish sandwich and it was really good. We also ordered those little fried onion thingys... delicious.

By then, we were really tired and the day was hot... we called the resort and our room was ready so we decided to go back, unpack and rest. We went back to MGM for our 6:40 PS at Mama Melrose's (Fantasmic Package). Salad was good and the flat bread was delicious. I ordered the Penne a la Vodka (it was good, but not as good as the one in The Roasted Pepper Rest where I live) and DH ordered a seafood pasta in spicy marinara sauce. He asked them to make it mild but if that was mild I don't know how "spicy" would have tasted! He sent it back and they made it again without the "spicy" part. Wow, the second time around was much, much better.... we could actually taste the flavors in the sauce and he ate the whole thing. Plus he also enjoyed the wine flight... pinot noir, chianti and reisling. I had a Moreti. Then coffee and dessert (Tiramisu, which was actually good). After dinner, we went to see Fantasmic, which we really enjoyed.

Next morning, got up early again and went to Typhoon Lagoon. We met my sister and one of her friends there. We staked out a table in a cabana up by Lowtide Lou's and went to check out Crush 'n Gusher. My DD7 did not make the 48" height requirement by, literally, one finger-width so she (unhappily) had to wait for us at the pool at the end of the slide. They actually have a pool area adjacent to the slides where you can wait in wet comfort. We all took turns staying with her while we all rode the 3 different slides. I'm glad she didn't go... they have height requirements for a reason... we met a little boy about Cristy's height who got hurt; his parents were telling us that his back got really banged up... these slides have very powerful water jets that propel you up like a roller coaster and when you land in the down portions, you must keep your bottom "up" or you'll hit hard... but what a ride! They're unbelievable.... if you like roller coasters, these slides are a "must do." We did several slides, ate lunch (which we brought, saving a ton of money) and continued doing slides until about 3 pm when, pooped, we decided to leave. The day was wonderful, not too hot, a bit cloudy so the sun didn't hit you so hard, but even though we used plenty of sunscreen, I still got a little sunburned.... not too much though....

We went back to our room and I made some sangria. My sister and her friend joined us and we enjoyed our beverages on the balcony. After they left, we took showers and decided to eat at Artist's Palate. We both had lobster bisque (it was ok, but salty). German had a BBQ pork flatbread (which he enjoyed) and I had a shrimp ceasar salad (which was ok). We then took a boat to Downtown Disney and I enjoyed a couple of guys entertaining the kids on the stage (DD had a blast dancing and following their antics) at the Marketplace while DH went to Sosa's Cigars to stock up. Took the boat back and crashed.

SSR was beautiful and I enjoyed having the kitchenette with the microwave oven, coffee maker, refrigerator and toaster. The studio had plenty of storage for us and it was perfect for a long weekend. We brought a lot of food for our trip to TL, and the fridge was big enough to handle it. The bed was a bit small for us (we sleep in a king, so anything smaller is not as comfortable) and DD liked the sofa bed. We ate breakfast in our room both days. We can't wait to go back in Sept for my birthday; we'll be staying in a 1-br for 5 nights... king size bed, jacuzzi, full kitchen, more room to spread out...

That's it for my report. It was a short weekend but packed with activities... a lot of walking at MGM and TL... Gotta start planning my next trip....

 

[ctrabada]

Me and my DD

German and Cristy (as Queen Amidala)

View from our balcony

The wine flight at Mama Melrose's

German enjoying his wine...

 

[Cyndirella]

Why didn't I ever look at this thread before??? You are my kind of people! Can I join the LOTW?

We just came home Saturday from a week in the World. We left the kids in the Neverland Club one evening and did a parents night out. We headed to the Poly lounge after dropping off the kids at 4:00, I had a pinacolada (awesome!). Can't remember what everyone else had (we were traveling with friends). I know my hubby had some kind of margarita that was really sweet, with grenadine. Then we hopped on the Monorail to Epcot in an attempt to make it all the way around WS with a drink in each country. I was really looking forward to the fiesta margarita but unfortunately we started in Canada and ran out of time before getting to Mexico...(needed to be back at Poly by 10:00 as $20/hr childcare was getting costly!) I think I drank my last beer in Japan, hubby made it a little further. We shared drinks in a lot of the countries. Made it back to the Poly by 10, then took the kids into MK for Spectromagic @ 11:00. It was a great evening, and no hangover the next day...maybe because we ate so much while in Epcot!

 

[eeyore45]

Wonder if any lushes did a Gran Marnier "Flight" ? Wonder where I saw this posted??!!

 

[wildernesslodgelover]

Cristy! Thanks for the trip report! Sounds like a great time! So you really liked SSR? the theming has never appealed to me, but the pictures you took make it look much prettier than when I just did the tour. I think I keep picturing the construction going on, but it has been 6 months since we did the tour, so I bet a lot has been built, landscaped, etc. I am glad to see a fellow lush give it the "thumbs up" as I am sure we will stay there at least once eventually.

Do you think doing the Fantasmic package is worth it? So would you recommend Mama's or Brown Derby? Yes, The Roasted Pepper is an INCREDIBLE restaurant...thanks for reminding me of that place, we have not been in quite awhile!

My DH stocks up at Sosa's every trip, and I always take a handful of matchbooks (boxes) to keep around the house.

Thanks for the pictures! That wine flight looks GOOD! Was it 4 oz each? Love the pretty picture of you and your DD at SSR! And German looks very content sipping his wine!

Cydirella-I would love to let my DD stay at Neverland next trip...did you think it was extra special compared to the other kid's clubs? My DD has stayed at Simba's (AKL) and Cub's (WL) and she has loved them both but I hear NL is the best! Glad you found the thread, welcome!

Eeyore-hmmmm...a Grand Marnier Flight? I would love to know where they have this, and what it entails. How many differnt types of GM are there?

 

[Aidensmom]

Then we hopped on the Monorail to Epcot in an attempt to make it all the way around WS with a drink in each country.

Just curious how many people have accomplished this. I wouldn't even try myself, as after that many drinks (especially when walking in the hot sun all day) I would really believe I was in another country, though we do like to sample drinks from several countries each trip.

 

[DisneyaHolic23]

Just curious how many people have accomplished this. I wouldn't even try myself, as after that many drinks (especially when walking in the hot sun all day) I would really believe I was in another country, though we do like to sample drinks from several countries each trip.

My husband and I have done the "Drink Around the World Showcase" several times (not in one trip!); we 'cheat', however, as we share a drink in all eleven countries. It truly is fun, as you ALWAYS meet others making the same excursion! The last time we did it, my husband made us lanyards. He put all eleven countries on the back, with a place to have the server sign. It looks really cool - especially Japan and China with their symbols.

The front of the lanyard said, "Hi! My name is Shannon, and I am drinking around the World Showcase. If, later in the evening, I look disoriented, please point me in the direction of the Beach Club Resort!"

Anyways, when one drinks around the world showcase, one also experiences the bathrooms around the world showcase!! I can tell you which are cleanest, largest, and have the best air conditioning!!

 

[pixiedust23]

Cristy,

Do you have any more pics of SSR? Being a fellow DVCer I would like to know whether its worth the stay. I'm a huge BCV's girl myself!

 

[luvthatduck]

Just curious how many people have accomplished this. I wouldn't even try myself, as after that many drinks (especially when walking in the hot sun all day) I would really believe I was in another country, though we do like to sample drinks from several countries each trip.

It probably gets expensive too, those drinks aren't cheap. But, hey, we're on vacation right? I can't wait to get that dirty martini at the WL Territory Lounge and a margarita at the Mexico pavillion.

18 days and counting! Oh my!

 

[robinb]

ctrabada
Thanks for the lush ... um ... trip report . Great pictures too!

We will be at SSR in a Studio in late August after a few days at BCV. I have not made any requests yet, but I've heard that the DTD View from Congress Park is very nice.

Can you share your Sangria recipe? I am always looking for something easy to make in the Studio. Do you bring or buy a pitcher? We're driving so a grocery stop is no problem. Thanks!

 

[eeyore45]

Hi...

WLL, from what I remember the Gran Marnier "flight" includes 4 snifters, but I can only think of 3 different kinds of Gran Marnier! My mom says a bottle of reserve is $100, the regular bottle is app $27 (depending on how big a bottle!)

I remember reading, and looking at the picture, but thinking I bring my own bottle for the room, for a "nightcap"... then I remembered about my mom, and tried to 'search' read thru 2 different threads, tried to search on allearsnet... but you just dont see listings for liquour!!!

It probably would be cheaper to buy the $100 bottle for mom than for us to share a "flight" but now I'm obsessed!!

 

[robinb]

Cydirella-I would love to let my DD stay at Neverland next trip...did you think it was extra special compared to the other kid's clubs? My DD has stayed at Simba's (AKL) and Cub's (WL) and she has loved them both but I hear NL is the best! Glad you found the thread, welcome!

My 5 year old DD has been to the Neverland Club, Simba's and to the Dolphin Club. I can tell you that she loves the Neverland Club. She also loves the Dolphin Club because they sometimes do face painting and they always end up in the game room with free tokens. I love the Dolphin Club because 2 hours are FREE when you eat at Shulas or Blue Zoo (or maybe even Palio, but I'm not sure).

 

[Aidensmom]

luvthatduck - maybe we will run into each other drinking our margaritas in Mexico, looks like we will be there about the same time. We will be there June 19-20 for a short trip.

disneyaholic23 - sharing drinks sounds like a great idea, if only I can convince DH to drink what I want to drink!

 

[luvthatduck]

luvthatduck - maybe we will run into each other drinking our margaritas in Mexico, looks like we will be there about the same time. We will be there June 19-20 for a short trip.

Unfortunately the boss (Pooh26) has us going to AK and MGM those days. Have fun! I'll toast ya!

 

[ctrabada]

aidensmom & disneyaholic23, back on page 9 I posted my lush report from the F&W festival last year... as you can see, I have done the WS lush tour as well as the monorail-drink-a-thon.... I'm looking forward to this year's trip...

robinb, the quickie sangria recipe for me is: 1 can of fruit cocktail, 1 bottle of red wine (some people use white, but I like red... cabernet, merlot, or whatever you have at hand), 1/2 bottle of sprite, 2 tbs sugar. I brought my own pitcher and mixed the fruit cocktail (including syrup), wine, sugar and sprite using a wooden spoon (which I also brought--don't know why but it has to be wood). At home, I like to slice my own fruit (orange and apples, pineapple if on hand) and I add a splash of orange juice and brandy.... gives it quite a kick and enhances the flavor.

PD23 & WLL, here are more pics:
Kitchenette (notice wine bottle in the back, ready for sangria)

Studio - bed & sofa

View from room entrance, bathroom on the left & kitchenette on the right. There's a mirror with pegs in the little foyer that was very handy; we hung the camera, backpack, hats, etc on the pegs when coming back from the parks. It also has a narrow ledge where we placed keys and phones. Kept stuff near the door and prevented clutter on the table. Sorry, I didn't take a picture of it... There is also another closet on the right of the entrance door.

Bathroom

Sink area outside bathroom (bathroom door w/mirror on left, closet on right)

Table and chairs

TV Cabinet

This is the back of our building taken from the bus stop

Front of the building, in The Springs section

Downtown Disney from the SSR boat

 

[Cyndirella]

wildernesslodgelover -

Thanks for the welcome to the thread! Neverland Club is the only one my kids have stayed in, so I can't compare it to the others - I just know they love it! We travel with our friends, who also have 2 kids, and they love it too. Actually my friend's son was asking if they could go twice on this trip, but it was a little too costly to pay for childcare and another night of drinking!

 

[1MegMeg]

WLL - I will report back with a full review about Jiko. I am so excited about it! I'll also let you know about POFQ. This will be our first time staying there.

disneyaholic23 and Cyndirella - Sharing drinks sounds like a great idea. Last November during the F&WF we attempted to do the WS lush tour, but we were each drinking our own drinks and we made it exactly half-way through (to the United States/Sam Adams pavilion). This year maybe we'll try sharing.

Cristy - Your SSR trip sounds (and looks) awesome! Glad you had such a great time. I love the Prime Time cafe. We usually eat there every time we go to MGM.

Eeyore45 - I just saw in your signature that this will be your first year to the F&WF! How fun! You'll have a blast. We went for the first time last year and just had the best time.