My Year of Disney BEGINS: a little Running, a little Drinking: PTR **1/12-W&D-Day 8**

[Dis_Yoda]

Yay for Trip Report updates!!!!!!!

You had a super busy 1st day! I bet you are glad you didn't get the I Did It Merchandise aren't you after they cut the distance The Hanger is such an awesome bar! I love that Monkey Head Drink!

All your spa treatments sound heavenly! Good to know that their FIRM massage is super FIRM for future reference.

I agree that the family probably shouldn't be at Artist Pointe if they have that difficult of a child. No one likes to be made uncomfortable while they eat! The staff should have offered to move you or something.

 

[SarahDisney]

Yay! Wine & Dine TR updates!

his was my first experience with self-check-in screens and I had to go back and redo it once to add in my suitcase.

Just fyi ... I've had issues with the self check-in kiosks too a few times. So it's not just you. And while I'm not a frequent flier, I've flown enough that I shouldn't have these problems. But occasionally I do ... which is part of why I now do online check in and print my boarding pass from home. Less potential to mess up (although I have messed up doing online check-in too ... including the time I accidently told the airline twice that I was bringing a suitcase and therefore got charged for two suitcases - that one had to be resolved at the airport).

I think I even ended up in the lanes to enter MK because I missed a right turn.

Are you sure it's because you missed a turn and not because you wanted to get to Magic Kingdom ASAP??

Here's my swag, purchases and bib:

I love all the swag! You picked up some awesome stuff!
I really love some of the stuff they sell at the expos ... they make some awesome shirts and stuff.

I went with the same scheme on both fingers and toes.

I love it!
Sounds like a great experience at the spa ... although I wonder why they didn't tell you about the coconut body treatment/sports massage problem when you first booked it.

The real reason this meal was a low point of the trip for me was due to the family sitting behind me. In a fair world my meal would've been comped. It was that bad. It was Mom, Dad and Damien (son) back there ruining my meal. This was obviously nothing new for the parents, but this kid's behavior was pretty shocking to me. Damien was screaming how much he hated his parents and promised to kill them at one point, then told them that he was leaving. As far as he got was my table, standing right next to me. I was pretty uncomfortable. Those were just the high points. Throughout the whole meal he had something nasty to say and was eventually taken out of the restaurant, screaming, 'Don't take me Dad, don't take me!' I understand there are kids with severe disabilities out there and he may have been one of them, but I was very uncomfortable throughout the whole meal. I'm honestly not sure what the right answer is for the parents. Their family deserves to go to Disney as much as anyone else and they've got to eat as well. But knowing you have such a challenging child, maybe Artist Point isn't the right setting? Just my thoughts after my experience.

OMG! People!
I mean, I understand that sometimes kids just can't control themselves, despite everyone's best efforts (and I really hope that was the case here and it wasn't just that nobody cared if the kid behaved). But if that's the case with your child,
A) Gauge whether or not a certain restaurant is really the best environment for you, and
B) Maybe apologize to the people around you who have just had their evening ruined by your kid? I know that sometimes your best isn't good enough, but the words "I'm really sorry, I hope we didn't bother you too much" can go a long way ... even if you did just ruin someone's night.
Parents...
Although I do think the staff should have done something for you to try to make up for it a little. But whatever. Hopefully the rest of your ADRs were much less stressful!

 

[huggybuff]

I bet you are glad you didn't get the I Did It Merchandise aren't you after they cut the distance

I'm funny about those shirts anyway. I don't want to jinx myself by buying it before, but it's the only time to pick one up. Conundrum. So yes, I was actually glad I didn't buy one!

All your spa treatments sound heavenly! Good to know that their FIRM massage is super FIRM for future reference.

I thought I was being a bit wimpy when I winced in pain a few times when she was massaging me. Then I saw the bruises the next day.

I agree that the family probably shouldn't be at Artist Pointe if they have that difficult of a child. No one likes to be made uncomfortable while they eat! The staff should have offered to move you or something

Yes, I'm sure the servers were aware and yet they did nothing for the surrounding tables. I couldn't have been the only one in such close proximity. But then I'm never good at being the squeaky wheel. I tend to just suffer through.

Just fyi ... I've had issues with the self check-in kiosks too a few times.

Whew! Not just me!

Are you sure it's because you missed a turn and not because you wanted to get to Magic Kingdom ASAP??

You caught me! Luckily the very left lane allows you to turn around and exit without having to go through the gates and beg to be let out of MK.

I love all the swag! You picked up some awesome stuff!

Thanks! That light purple tank top blew out the door. There were only a couple left on the hangers and they were both my size.

Sounds like a great experience at the spa ... although I wonder why they didn't tell you about the coconut body treatment/sports massage problem when you first booked it.

The masseuse explained that the agents who take the bookings on the phone don't really know what treatment goes with what. Seems like it would be a handy thing for them to be acquainted with! It all worked out fine though.

A) Gauge whether or not a certain restaurant is really the best environment for you, and
B) Maybe apologize to the people around you who have just had their evening ruined by your kid? I know that sometimes your best isn't good enough, but the words "I'm really sorry, I hope we didn't bother you too much" can go a long way ... even if you did just ruin someone's night.
Parents...
Although I do think the staff should have done something for you to try to make up for it a little. But whatever. Hopefully the rest of your ADRs were much less stressful!

A - I agree whole-heartedly. Maybe counter service is the way to go for your family or possibly even Whispering Canyon Café since it's a loud atmosphere.
B - I would've definitely appreciated an apology! And yes, the rest of my ADRs went fine - no more Damiens! I do feel like I need an Artist Point do-over though...

 

[huggybuff]

Rebel Challenge Update

Paint the Night dinner packages are now bookable! Blue Bayou looks like it's the only restaurant available for this package at the moment. I booked mine for Sunday night, the night of the Star Wars half. Hopefully I'll feel peppy enough to enjoy the parade after 2 days of running, but we shall see. That Sunday is going to be the longest I will have attempted to run because W&D was shortened, so I'm a bit nervous. I keep telling myself I have 5 weeks to get there.

 

[huggybuff]

Wine and Dine - Day 3 - Saturday - Part 1


Since I didn't have a breakfast ADR scheduled for this morning I decided to let myself wake up naturally without setting an alarm and sleeping in if need be. Turns out that I needed some rest - I slept for 9 hours straight. I had planned to get some breakfast over at Wolfgang Puck Express at Disney Springs, but it was too late for me to eat breakfast at that point if I didn't want to be too stuffed for my lunch ADR at 1PM. So I decided to get ready and head over to Disney Springs to fit in a bit of shopping before lunchtime. This time my GPS directed me to the surface parking lot behind the La Nouba theater on the West Side. I guess it wanted me to experience all of the fabulous parking options at Disney Springs. I browsed the West Side stores for a bit and happened upon the Candy Cauldron. I'm glad I stopped here since I never did make it to Goofy's Candy Company. I got my usual variety 6-pack of fudge. I have to say I enjoyed the WDW fudge slightly better than DL's. I like keeping it in the hotel room fridge to munch on throughout the trip. *noms*

I kept on walking with the intent of heading to the Marketplace side to check out the stores but I was starting to feel hot as it was just hitting noon. I turned around at the Waterside Stage area and walked by a familiar location, and decided to enter...



Although I didn't have time to eat anything, I took a pic of the menu.



This time I sat against the wall in the middle of room, directly across from the bar. I decided to have my one drink for the day and got the Hovito Mojito - Barson Quebranta Pisco, fresh Lime Juice, Mint, and Simple Syrup topped with Soda Water. I enjoyed it but probably wouldn't order it again. There are too many interesting looking drinks on their menu that I'd still like to try. I did love the little rubber poison dart that came with the drink!




Cool Coaster!

I still had some time to kill before my ADR time of 1:05PM, so I decided to order something non-alcoholic off of the menu. I went with the Diving Bell - Simply Lemonade and Watermelon topped with a Lemon-Lime Foam. This was so refreshing! I really, really liked this one.



Soon enough it was time to head over to Paradiso 37 since I was finished with my drink and didn't want to hold the table any longer at Jock's as it was getting busy. There was a definite difference in the crowd level between a weekday and the weekend. Paradiso 37 is directly next door to Jock's, so I still had a few minutes to kill before my ADR time. I sat at the bar and had some water - trying to flush out that mojito! - while I perused the menu. This was probably where my day started to go wrong, looking back. I had already decided on the fish tacos but something about the burrito was calling out to me. I was seated and decided to start with the Mexican Dipping Trio: Guacamole, Chili con Carne, Queso with fire Roasted peppers, Corn Tortilla Chips. Both the guacamole and chili were pretty bland and I didn't eat much of them, but the queso was delicious and I ate it all. I'd see about ordering that solo if I ever went back there.



So instead of the fish tacos, I did order the Grilled Chicken Burrito: Flour Tortilla, Sautéed Seasonal Vegetables, P37 Cheese, Chipotle Mango BBQ Sauce, Cilantro Rice, Charro Beans. OK, technically I ordered the steak burrito, however, they served me chicken. I really loved the chipotle mango BBQ sauce on the burrito, but I could've done without all the vegetables inside. I thought there were just too many - for my taste anyway. The beans were served alongside and I think this is where I created problems for myself later on in the night.



Paradiso 37 was fine, but I'd rather go back to Raglan Road in the future, or eat at the new Art Smith place 10 times before going back to retry P37. As an aside, they had a very strange bathroom. The toilets were short, with no seat covers available, and the sink sprayed water everywhere when you turned it on. Also, the service could've been much friendlier. The hostess had major RBF going on.

With lunch finished, I decided to go back to my car, stopping at a few shops to browse along the way. I found some small ponytail holders (another thing I'd forgotten to pack) that I ended up not using. (I just wore my normal hair clip during the race instead, with my new Sparkle Skirt visor.) I drove back to SSR and relaxed for bit in the room. I decided to nap and ended up sleeping for a couple of hours. My wake-up call and alarm both woke me up around 6:30PM. I quickly dressed, pinned on my bib, made sure I had everything I needed in my bag to be checked, and then drove over to the parking lot near the bus loading area.

By this time I was starting to get really nervous about the race. It was going to be my first half that I would attempt to run the whole way through. I boarded the bus around 7PM and then we were off to WWoS. After we arrived and went through bag check, I went over and checked my bag in the gear check lines. Or I should say, lack of lines. It was very fast and the lady who took my bag was super nice about it being torn and said she'd tape it and tie it up for me. She was very helpful. Now there was nothing to do but wait and listen to the DJ in the open field until it was time to head to the corrals. Or so I thought. The BFF had texted me that she'd seen lightning on her way back from DS. I had already started to see the same off in the distance and also felt a very strong wind blowing in.

A few minutes later we were all being herded into the ESPN WWoS building complex and were told we had a choice of the Jostens Center, HP Fieldhouse and the baseball stadium. I didn't think that exchanging one wide open field for another was such a good idea, so I went with HP Fieldhouse. Bonus - real bathrooms! After I made a pit stop I camped out on the floor with everyone else.




By this time it was about 9:30PM and we were all unsure if we'd be running at all that night. Probably 30min to 45min later the doors opened and workers were waving us outside, no announcements to be heard over the loudspeaker. People seemed happy so I assumed the run was back on. My phone had gotten virtually no service the whole time in HP Fieldhouse so I felt very much in the dark. But I followed the herd back out to the field. Eventually we were told to corral up and I went and followed the K corral until I couldn't move up any further. Mentally I was still preparing to go the full distance. My phone was almost dead so I didn't want to waste any battery life...besides, I didn't even know that a shortened course was an option. Once the corrals started moving up I began hearing snippets of conversations regarding AK, but I wasn't sure what it was all about. I wasn't 100% sure what was going on until the DJ at the starting line announced the shortened course.



So...the run itself was pretty harsh. You'd think a shortened course would be cake at this point in training. Not that night! First off, it was brutally hot (for me) and I just could not get acclimated to running in it in such a short time. Secondly, from about the 3rd mile on, my stomach started rebelling. I started suffering from some serious abdominal bloating and pain. I'm sure it was the beans from lunch. Sorry if that's TMI! After mile 5 it got so bad that I just started walking. By this point I wasn't worried about being picked up by sweepers, so I could afford to really slow down. Lesson learned for my next night race for sure! Thankfully the finish line came sooner for me that night or else I likely would've been swept. And I wouldn't haven gotten this cool medal that I half-earned.

 

[huggybuff]

Wine and Dine - Day 3 - Saturday - Part 2

I picked up my checked bag and changed into my Oofos flip flops, which are, by the way, heavenly. Thanks to reading the DIS I knew what to pack in my bag, including a folded up tote bag to transfer all of my items into, so I wouldn't have to carry the clear plastic bag around all night. After half a banana and a bottle of water I was ready to hit the EPCOT after-party. I briefly considered just going back to the hotel, but my stomach was feeling better ever since I stopped running and I knew I'd probably never do another Wine and Dine again, so I decided to hit the party. I skipped getting my free drink with the drink voucher from my bib and went in search of a bathroom inside the park. Eventually I found one without a long line and it just happened to be inside the Craft Beer Pavilion. After cleaning up and making sure my mascara hadn't sweated down my face, I got in line for some much needed alcohol. By 2:30AM I was sucking down a flight of beer that included: 3 Daughters St. Pete Beach Blonde Ale, St. Petersburg, FL; Florida Beer Company Passport 20 Belgian-Style Tripel Ale, Cape Canaveral, FL; Funky Buddha Vanilla Espresso Porter, Oakland Park, FL; and Shipyard Bourbon Barrel Aged Imperial Stout, Clearwater, FL.



I saved the Vanilla Espresso Porter for last because I didn't think I'd enjoy it. I ended up liking it the best! After my flight I was feeling a little toasty so it was time to hit the Marketplace Booths for some grub. The lines were pretty long at some of the booths that I passed so I only hit two of them. First I stopped at the Farm Fresh booth and got the Loaded mac n’ cheese with Nueske’s pepper bacon, cheddar cheese, peppers and green onions. This was...AWESOME! The picture is from Disney Food Blog because my phone had died by this point in the night.



Next I went to the Australia booth and had the Lamington: Yellow cake dipped in chocolate and shredded coconut. I enjoyed this but at the same time I wished that the portion size had been larger. I thought it was pretty tiny, but then it was only $3.00.



After resting for a few minutes near the China booth I decided to hit the road and made my way back through Future World and to the buses. It was approximately 3:30AM and I was beginning to feel that. Luckily I got right on a bus to SSR without waiting in line. There were apparently 13 seats left on the bus - according to an annoying girl who decided to inform our driver of this fact multiple times - but we took off anyway, back to the resort. Soon the bus dropped us off and I was driving back to my room, and then quickly to bed since I had an early wake-up call...

Coming Up...Straws, Screams, and Schnapps

 

[SarahDisney]

The beans were served alongside and I think this is where I created problems for myself later on in the night.

Uh-oh. I'm a little nervous thinking about how beans on race day may have affected you...
I do want to do Wine & Dine eventually, but I think that's what makes me most nervous ... I would probably have no idea what to eat for lunch because I'd be afraid that anything would unsettle me.

A few minutes later we were all being herded into the ESPN WWoS building complex and were told we had a choice of the Jostens Center, HP Fieldhouse and the baseball stadium. I didn't think that exchanging one wide open field for another was such a good idea, so I went with HP Fieldhouse. Bonus - real bathrooms! After I made a pit stop I camped out on the floor with everyone else.

Yeah, I totally would have been with you going into the Fieldhouse (well, that or the Jostens Center) ... people were probably huddling in the concourse areas of the stadium because nobody wanted to be out on the open field. Indoors in a lightning storm is probably the best idea.
And yeah, real bathrooms are a nice treat!

Probably 30min to 45min later the doors opened and workers were waving us outside, no announcements to be heard over the loudspeaker.

I've seen other people say things like this, and it shocks me. There has to be a loudspeaker or PA system somewhere in that building. How hard is it to announce things every 10-15 minutes, even if its just "we're talking to meteorologists and race organizers and trying to figure out what to do"? Even the twitter alerts were very infrequent. I think this is the first time they had to deal with this, so I understand that there may be some confusion, but ... there should have been a system in place to ensure that all runners were up to date on the situation and on the course changes. From everything I've read, it seems like runDisney could have handled this much better.

So...the run itself was pretty harsh. You'd think a shortened course would be cake at this point in training. Not that night! First off, it was brutally hot (for me) and I just could not get acclimated to running in it in such a short time. Secondly, from about the 3rd mile on, my stomach started rebelling. I started suffering from some serious abdominal bloating and pain. I'm sure it was the beans from lunch. Sorry if that's TMI! After mile 5 it got so bad that I just started walking. By this point I wasn't worried about being picked up by sweepers, so I could afford to really slow down. Lesson learned for my next night race for sure! Thankfully the finish line came sooner for me that night or else I likely would've been swept. And I wouldn't haven gotten this cool medal that I half-earned.

Sorry to hear that the race was so rough. But you finished, and that's awesome! I'm sure there were a lot of people who just couldn't get over the shortened distance and didn't finish it or had a rougher race than expected. And the medal is pretty awesome, even if it's not entirely accurate!

I picked up my checked bag and changed into my Oofos flip flops, which are, by the way, heavenly.

I really gotta get me a pair of those! I keep wanting to buy them on sale ... but then I don't. I dunno why.

There were apparently 13 seats left on the bus - according to an annoying girl who decided to inform our driver of this fact multiple times - but we took off anyway, back to the resort

I'm sorry, did she want the bus to wait for 13 more people? Really? It's 3:30 AM, some people just want to go to sleep!!
I'm glad you were able to get some good food at the after party, which hopefully made up a little bit for the race situation. I'm excited to hear about your next day's plans ... although maybe not so much the Schnapps (I'm not a fan).

 

[huggybuff]

I do want to do Wine & Dine eventually, but I think that's what makes me most nervous ... I would probably have no idea what to eat for lunch because I'd be afraid that anything would unsettle me.

It's very tricky! It's hard to plot out a full day of eating before a race. Ideally, I think you'd want to eat lightly every 2-3 hours from wake up. But that's easier said than done in a vacation setting. And you're supposed to stay away from salads, fiber (my mistake), excess protein and fats. That takes away a lot of options.

I've seen other people say things like this, and it shocks me. There has to be a loudspeaker or PA system somewhere in that building. How hard is it to announce things every 10-15 minutes, even if its just "we're talking to meteorologists and race organizers and trying to figure out what to do"?

That's the thing that bugged me the most - we had a loudspeaker that was working fine the whole time. They were keeping us updated, just like you suggested. But when it was time for us to leave the building there was no announcement given whatsoever.

I'm excited to hear about your next day's plans ... although maybe not so much the Schnapps (I'm not a fan).

Heh. I'm not a huge Schnapps fan myself. Thankfully it's wasn't overpowering in the drink I got the next night.

 

[Wood Nymph]

So...the run itself was pretty harsh. You'd think a shortened course would be cake at this point in training. Not that night! First off, it was brutally hot (for me) and I just could not get acclimated to running in it in such a short time. Secondly, from about the 3rd mile on, my stomach started rebelling. I started suffering from some serious abdominal bloating and pain. I'm sure it was the beans from lunch. Sorry if that's TMI! After mile 5 it got so bad that I just started walking. By this point I wasn't worried about being picked up by sweepers, so I could afford to really slow down. Lesson learned for my next night race for sure! Thankfully the finish line came sooner for me that night or else I likely would've been swept. And I wouldn't haven gotten this cool medal that I half-earned.

It sounds like a very tough race to run. I would have taken the shortened course, too. I don't like to run in the heat. I ran a 5K race that started at 6:30pm and decided never to run a race that wasn't in the morning. I just couldn't manage the food intake properly. There is nothing like stomach problems to ruin a race. A sore knee gets you sympathy and you feel like an injured warrior. But a run to a porta potty just makes you feel like a wimp.

First I stopped at the Farm Fresh booth and got the Loaded mac n’ cheese with Nueske’s pepper bacon, cheddar cheese, peppers and green onions. This was...AWESOME!

We had those at F&W and they were delicious.

 

[huggybuff]

@Wood Nymph !!!

A sore knee gets you sympathy and you feel like an injured warrior. But a run to a porta potty just makes you feel like a wimp.

Yeah...I was feeling very silly about my choice for lunch that night. I knew better too, but I just pushed ahead with what sounded good in the moment.

 

[huggybuff]

Wine and Dine - Day 4 - Sunday - Part 1

I woke up surprisingly okay for only getting a few hours of sleep once my alarm went off. I made sure I had enough time to wash my hair after the previous night's run, so there was another half hour down the proverbial and literal drain. 10AM rolled around and I was ready to hit the road. I hopped in the car and drove to DHS. Somehow I ended up parking very close to the park and didn't need to tram in. I wonder if I ended up in cast parking somehow? Oh well. I was right behind where the buses dropped off and picked up, so I walked into the park. The feel of DHS is a little bit odd for me because it's somewhat reminiscent of DCA at DLR. But yet totally different. It's an even stranger feeling to me than going from DL to MK.

From this point on in the trip I'd be accompanied pretty much everywhere by BFF+Hubby+Son. We had an 11AM ADR at 50' Prime Time Café and I still had about 20 minutes to kill. First I checked to see if the Tune-In Lounge was open. It wasn't. Grrrr. I milled around for a bit looking for a store to peruse, couldn't find one. After just a few minutes in the sun I was starting to get hot and I stopped at a kiosk for some water. If I didn't get it from the Hoop Dee Doo show the other night, standing in this line would've clued me in that it was Jersey Week. The accents were on full display for the whole fifteen minutes I was in line for a bottle of water. (I'm sure I have an annoying California accent, nothing against Jersey.)

After I finally got my water, I booked it back to 50's Prime Time and met up with my group just in time to be seated. Our waiter had just the right level of shtick for my taste. He was fun without being overbearing. When he brought our drink he threw our straws at us. Later, a waitress brought by a dessert with a note for our waiter saying, 'Thanks for last night'. He was either embarrassed or just acted like it and gave the dessert to a neighboring table. As for food, we started with the Fried Herb and Garlic Cheese - served with warm Raspberry Sauce, grapes and apples, and toasted French Bread. This was very yummy and I'd probably order one just for myself if I ever make it back to 50's Prime Time. I forgot to take a pic, so it's Disney Food Blog to the rescue again.




For lunch I had a simple Caesar Salad - Romaine lettuce tossed with Caesar dressing, grated Parmesan, and garlic croutons. I knew we had dinner coming up at 4:30PM so I didn't want to stuff myself. Our waiter called my lunch rabbit food a couple of times.




I didn't get dessert since I had a Coke Float with lunch, but the BFF gave me a bite of her Mom's Favorite Chocolate-Peanut Butter Layers Cake. It was so rich, one bite was enough! Also from DFB...




Before our FP window for Star Tours closed we had enough time to sneak in the Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show. Not too much to say about this show...it's not really in my wheelhouse. I thought there was a startling overuse of guns, quite frankly.




We made it to Star Tours with only a few minutes to spare in our FP window so I didn't get to stop at Writer's Stop on the way to pick up a carrot cake cookie. #SnackFail After Star Tours we hoofed it over to Rock n Roller Coaster for our next FP. This is one of those rides where I had to concentrate on keeping my head back against the seat so it wouldn't bounce against the headrest. I liked the ride though. RnR's dump shop had some cute items as well.




Next we hit Tower of Terror for our final FP of the day. This is probably my favorite ride at DCA and I'd heard it's even better at DHS. I think DHS' builds up the suspense a little better with the ride vehicle coming off the track before the drop, but other than that, they're really the same.




After three rides in a row I was in need of a real drink so I stopped at the Tower of Terror Coffee Cart and got a Shakin' Jamaican Coffee – Made with Kāhlua, Vanilla and Caramel. DFB again...




Our ADR was at 4:25 for dinner and we had a bit of time to kill so we watched the Citizens of Hollywood Public Works Dept water a tree (and eventually the crowd). These guys have great timing if you get a chance to see them. Shortly after the show ended it was time for dinner at the Hollywood Brown Derby. I ordered a cocktail to start off: Cheryl’s Peach Tree Punch - Ciroc Vodka, Peach Schnapps, orange juice, a drizzle of grenadine and a splash of Sprite. I think I should have gone for the margarita flight, the peach punch was a bit too sweet for me.





We were all getting the Fantasmic! dinner package so we had a choice of any appetizer, any entrée and then we were all served the same trio for dessert. My appetizer was the Portsmouth Lobster Bisque: Crispy Lobster-Herb Dumpling, Sherry Gastrique. I thought the dumpling was a nice touch.




My entrée was the Lamb Two Ways: Grilled Lamb Chop, Slow-roasted Shredded Lamb Shank, Apple-Balsamic Sauce, Butternut Squash Risotto. To be honest, I didn't find this dish very memorable at all.

 

[huggybuff]

Wine and Dine - Day 4 - Sunday - Part 2

For dessert we were served a Mini Dessert Trio (Chocolate Sphere with Hazelnut Praline Chocolate and Orange-White Chocolate Mousse, Double Vanilla Bean Crème Brulee, and the Brown Derby Original! Mini Grapefruit Cake). Again, not highly memorable, except for the grapefruit cake, which was much more bitter than I'd expected. I know it's grapefruit, but I was still surprised by it.





After dinner we headed back to the Fantasmic! viewing area and found our seats. By this point I was feeling the short amount of sleep I'd gotten the previous night. Thankfully you get to sit down at DHS while you watch the show. I have to say I enjoyed the show more this time around than my attempt at it at DL over the summer. My view was only slightly blocked by the big head sitting in front of me, and did I mention that I got to sit down? This version is less grand than DL's as that version takes place on the Rivers of America, but DHS' wins out for me on comfort. As always, it was a cluster leaving any Fantasmic! showing. Once we finally got out of the mass of people exiting the show, I decided to go to the Tower of Terror gift shop to pickup a few things. This poster should totally be for sale!




I decided to leave DHS for the night and leave my group to go off and see the Osborne Lights and meet Goofy Santa on their own. I was very ready to hit the hay back at SSR.

Coming Up...Mission:WRETCH, Moosehead, and Mickey stomps!

 

[SarahDisney]

The feel of DHS is a little bit odd for me because it's somewhat reminiscent of DCA at DLR. But yet totally different. It's an even stranger feeling to me than going from DL to MK.

To me ... when you first walk in, DHS feels like DCA because the entrance is the same. Other than that, it's pretty different (other than a few shared attratctions) ... so its kinda familiar, but not familiar.
Also - I miss the old DCA entrance so much. This just feels like a good time to say that.

Sounds like you had a busy but fun Sunday! All that food looks amazing ...

 

[huggybuff]

Also - I miss the old DCA entrance so much. This just feels like a good time to say that.

What part of it? I really love Buena Vista Street and can't imagine anything else. (I never went to DCA pre-BVS/Cars Land.)

 

[SarahDisney]

What part of it? I really love Buena Vista Street and can't imagine anything else. (I never went to DCA pre-BVS/Cars Land.)

I was there in 2009, when the old entrance was still there (although there may have already started Cars Land, I don't remember). The whole entrance was different - there were large "California" letters in the entrance plaza (outside the gates) and then there was a mini Golden Gate bridge. It felt like a celebration of all of California, whereas BVS (which is pretty cool) is more Hollywood.

 

[huggybuff]

The whole entrance was different - there were large "California" letters in the entrance plaza (outside the gates)

I remember seeing pictures of those and also hearing about them being sent to the CA State Fair. I've heard others say they liked that aesthetic as well so you're not alone.

 

[Elevationist]

Later, a waitress brought by a dessert with a note for our waiter saying, 'Thanks for last night'.

Okay, I want to know what THAT backstory is!!!

As for food, we started with the Fried Herb and Garlic Cheese - served with warm Raspberry Sauce, grapes and apples, and toasted French Bread. This was very yummy and I'd probably order one just for myself if I ever make it back to 50's Prime Time.

Ooooh, this looks interesting! That's something I would order for just myself, too!

Oh, my dear sweet lord.

RnR's dump shop had some cute items as well.

I love that gift shop!

fter three rides in a row I was in need of a real drink so I stopped at the Tower of Terror Coffee Cart and got a Shakin' Jamaican Coffee – Made with Kāhlua, Vanilla and Caramel. DFB again...

NOW you're talkin'. How on earth did I miss this?! On to the bucket list it goes!

Cheryl’s Peach Tree Punch - Ciroc Vodka, Peach Schnapps, orange juice, a drizzle of grenadine and a splash of Sprite. I think I should have gone for the margarita flight, the peach punch was a bit too sweet for me.

Nope, that's right on up my alley! Sounds delicious!

My entrée was the Lamb Two Ways: Grilled Lamb Chop, Slow-roasted Shredded Lamb Shank, Apple-Balsamic Sauce, Butternut Squash Risotto. To be honest, I didn't find this dish very memorable at all.

Aww, I'm so sorry to hear this wasn't memorable, because is LOOKS and sounds incredible!!

I decided to go to the Tower of Terror gift shop to pickup a few things. This poster should totally be for sale!

I never spend nearly enough time in this gift shop! I'm going to make it a point to change that on my next trip! And I agree about that poster, I love it!

 

[huggybuff]

Wine and Dine - Day 5 - Monday - Part 1

Our first EPCOT day started off bright and early since we had a special event lined up for 8AM in the World Showcase. I drove from SSR over to AoA to pick up BFF around 7:20AM, and from there we headed to EPCOT. We were so early we got to park with the cast members. We milled around for a bit until we found the lady who we were supposed to check in with for the event. After they found my name on the list we were put into the line to enter the park. Once we entered we couldn't resist taking this pic since there was no line:



Eventually we were led towards the World Showcase, but it seemed very disorganized as they had people walking on both sides of the lake towards the same point. Not sure why they didn't just keep everyone together. We passed Chef Mickey on our morning walk.





They held us up behind a rope once we got to Norway. I'm guessing that the tables weren't ready or perhaps the speakers were late? They held us there until at least 8:30AM and it was already getting warm out. Finally they let us continue walking...all the way to the American Adventure Pavilion. It makes sense since that's where the Chase Lounge is located and this was an event for Chase cardholders. I think we all heard the sad trombone in our heads when we got to the building and saw the event was going to take place outside. *womp* *womp*

As for the event itself, here's the description from Disney Food Blog: The Creation of Food and Wine Marketplaces - On November 9th from 8 – 9:30 am, guests will start the day with breakfast (including a sparkling wine toast) on the World Showcase Promenade while meeting with a Festival Chef, Beverage Professional, and Disney Imagineer who will provide a behind-the-scenes look into the creation of each Festival Marketplace Booth and its menu. The Festival Chef ended up being EPCOT's Executive Chef, Gregg Hannon. The other two ladies, I was unable to Google.

Here's the menu:




Our speakers:




First we started with the Martini Chiller with Fruit and Greek Yogurt. It was sitting out waiting for us when were all being seated. The Prosecco had already been poured as well and it was almost too warm to drink.




Next we had the Salmon with Bagel Bread Pudding with Capers. This was one of the best things I ate on the whole trip! The salmon was perfect and bread pudding was incredible.





Our final savory item was the Beef Tenderloin Hash with Eggs, Hollandaise and Pork Belly. This one was not so enjoyable for me. Something about eating the eggs out in the heat maybe...

I thought it was odd that everything featured to that point at our event were dishes that weren't available at Marketplace Booths when that's what the whole thing was supposed to be focused on. Not complaining, I just found it strange.

For dessert we were encouraged to go up to a station and request a Liquid Nitro Chocolate-Almond Truffle with Warm Whiskey-Caramel Sauce. Now this one was from a booth - The Chew Lab Marketplace. It was also awesome. I should've gotten another one.




As a bonus we got a Smoking Hibiscus, also from the Chew Lab booth. It features Montelobos Mezcal Joven. I didn't love it. A little too creamy-milky of a texture for me.




During all this eating we were listening to the speakers dish out interesting facts about how the booths are put together, torn down, how much they serve, why some things are discontinued, etc. If you're really a Food and Wine devotee, I'm sure it was quite enthralling. Some of the people there had been to F&W every single year since it began. I enjoyed the event overall, minus the late start and sitting out in the heat.

Once we finished with our goodbyes to our tablemates we headed down the other side of World Showcase. I took a quiet picture near the UK.

 

[huggybuff]

Wine and Dine - Day 5 - Monday - Part 2

The guys were riding Test Track at that time and we had a little time until we caught up to them, so we went through a few stores on our way to the next destination. That destination being Mission:SPACE. Luckily I'd heard on a podcast just prior to the trip that this ride is basically horrible and makes you sick. When we got up to the CM who was handing out the colored cards we made the last second decision to choose Green instead of Orange. Good choice! This ride is not for the claustrophobic. Or those who like to breathe. I couldn't believe how pinned in we felt when the vehicle closed around us like a clamshell. This is a ride I have no desire to ride again - but it's still not my least favorite ride of the trip. (To be revealed in a future installment.)

After confirming that we'd never become astronauts, we headed next door to the Food and Wine Festival Center. I was on the lookout for the F&W 20th Anniversary Dooney, simultaneously wanting and not wanting to find one. Wanting to find one because, well, I wanted one. And not wanting to because I didn't want to spend a hunk of money on yet another Dooney and Bourke. That's what race expos are for. So I was happy and disappointed to find that they were all sold out and being that the festival was about to end, they wouldn't be getting any more of them in stock. They also didn't have any good T-shirts in my size. I was totally out of luck there.

Lunchtime was upon us and the guys were hungry. I wasn't really at that point since our Chase event had ended such a short time ago. We stopped at La Cantina de San Angel, the quick service option at the Mexico Pavilion. I nibbled on some of the BFF's nachos just because they were there. After they finished eating, BFF's son wanted to play Agent P's World Showcase Adventure, so we picked up the game information and played it at Mexico since we were already there. Before they got going on the game, BFF and I took pics with Daisy.




Due to the time it took to finish the Agent P game we missed our FP for Soarin'. Honestly, no one had a problem with it. I love Soarin' but I went on it in June and July at DCA and I didn't feel I was missing out here. While we were in the Mexico Pavilion I found a great early Christmas present for my sister - an Arribas Bros. Tinker Bell pendant. We also took a few minutes to ride the Gran Fiesta Tour, which I thought was very cute. Once we finished up with Agent P we started making our way around World Showcase. When we got to the Refreshment Cool Post I ordered a Frozen Elephant - a mix of Coca-Cola, creamy Amarula Liqueur, and milk. (Again, DFB.)




We made our way around the World Showcase, going through shops, stopping at Karamell Kuche in Germany for caramel popcorn, and just taking in the sights. I decided I was hungry around the time we passed the Ireland booth so I stopped and got the Lobster and Seafood Fisherman’s Pie. I definitely could've ordered something else but we had an ADR for Garden Grill coming up and I didn't want to take up precious tummy room. I did, however, get a Moosehead at the beer cart when we finally got all the way around to Canada. Here's the Fisherman's Pie:




After visiting some more shops and relaxing on park benches, it was finally time to head over to the Land Pavilion for our ADR. Our table wasn't quite ready and we were given a pager...which went off two minutes later, right after we sat down to wait, naturally. On our way to our table I noticed Farmer Mickey visiting at a table in our pathway. We walked single file to our table behind him and when I passed him, he took a step back, absolutely STOMPING my foot! It seriously didn't stop throbbing until halfway through our meal. He was very sorry and gave me hugs after I yelped out in pain.

Dinner itself was fine and very filling as it's all you care to enjoy. I think we only requested more macaroni and cheese out of all the items. We had bread, salad, beef, turkey and fish, along with the mac and cheese. For dessert we had Short Cake topped with fresh Berries and Vanilla Bean Whipped Cream.




The character interaction at Garden Grill was really nice. I like how it's not just a one and done experience. Pluto, Mickey and Chip n Dale keep coming around throughout the meal.










After dinner we decided that it was going to be too long to wait until Illuminations started and that it was time to hit the road. I took this quiet pic of the icon on the way out.




Coming Up: Ducks, Dinos and Drenchings!

 

[Dis_Yoda]

You had a super long day in the park to be there from 8AM to almost close!

Glad you enjoyed your event! Its nice that they did the Chase only events this year. Those whiskey truffles were definitely a hit! Too bad about it being in the sun!

Smart choice on the green side - thats the one we always do as we don't like feeling sick but you still get to enjoy all of it.