Then Jim said, "Later at Epcot we split a rice krispy treat from...
"After spending most of the day in Future world we moved on to the F&W festival."
"LA is gluten free and Disney didn't provide a GF menu she got one off a Mousecations website that had talked to the chefs. We had the Grilled Beef Skewer in Argentina, the Griddled Greek CHEESE IN Greece, the Kerrygold cheese selection and the Warm Chocolate pudding in Ireland. We also had the Crispy Pork Belly in Brazil but I couldn't find the pic. We enjoyed it all. Even ran into some old friends from Missouri, it's a small world after all."
5 October Game Points Earned + 1 Bonus Point for F & W display
No new arrivals tomorrow to announce so let's get right to the updates, picking up where I left off last night with those sent to us on Tuesday.
Next we have a couple of updates from Jeri (jerseytinkerbell), starting with this snack update from Epcot.
She said, "On Monday night we decided to walk over to Epcot for some late night treats. F&W was crowded so we decided to go to...
"The dessert menu...
"Okay, I don't know the names of anything we got so I will apologize in advance. We just pointed to our treats in the case."
"Rob got a chicken sandwich...
...and this chocolatey treat."
"I got a bacon bread...
...and an apple turnover."
"Everything was delicious! My only regret was that we didn't get our savory items heated up, but after we said they were to go the whole transaction happened very quickly."
3 October Game Points Earned + 2 Bonus Points for sign and menu
Next in on Tuesday was the final update from Mindy2k3, as sadly her trip came to an end last Friday.
Mindy said, "We had Be Our Guest reservations at 4:30 before our MNSSHP night."
"We were seated in the grand ballroom. The girls were very excited to be there."
"We had Batman, Robin and Spiderman. You can't see their tutus, but they had them on!"
"We started with the bread and salted butter. Yum!"
"I ordered a glass of wine, our server recommended the Riesling instead of the Pinot Gris I had requested. She mentioned that wines were listed in order of sweetness. The pinot is sweeter than the Riesling. She was right, I was happy with my choice."
"The Beast made an appearance and the little one wanted to go see him!"
"Our meals arrived:"
"Two Strip Steaks."
"Two Shrimp and Scallops in puff pastry, one with no scallops."
"One Lamb Rack."
"One Chicken Provencal with the sauce on the side."
"One Braised pork."
"The pork was the only thing that wasn't a big hit. It was good, he just wished he would have ordered the steak."
"Next up were desserts. The girls made sure to save room."
"We had a strawberry cupcake, two of the grey stuff tarts, one of the Halloween cream puffs, a lemon cupcake, and a chocolate cupcake."
"Everything was very good."
"Overall this was a great meal for us. It was the last dinner we had and we had really looked forward to it."
"Our trip is over, and we are sad it is over. We had bigger crowds than we anticipated but we just rolled with it."
2 October Game Points Earned + 5 Bonus Points for name, pic of girls, and Beast pic
We also received the final update from another one of our live reporters on Tuesday.
Kayla (cheshirecatattack) said, "Last night we had dinner at 'Ohana but my iPad battery died so no photos. The food was delicious and the service was efficient and we weren't rushed. We will definitely return."
"Our final meal in the parks was at Magic Kingdom's...
"I had the taco salad."
"It was just okay."
"My brother had the 1/3 pound Angus cheeseburger."
"He enjoyed it."
"The toppings bar is what makes this place a good choice."
"My mom had the pork sandwich."
"She said it was good but nothing special."
Now for Kayla's trip synopsis...
"I think we all agreed that dinner at 'Ohana was our favourite. We really enjoy visiting the Polynesian, the food was flavourful and we had a great server. None of the sit down meals we had were bad but I think our least favourite was Via Napoli. This was only because it was really loud (we had to shout to talk to each other) and it took a while to get our pizza. The server we had was great and the pizza was as good as always."
"Our favourite counter service continues to be Earl of Sandwich. It's quick, cheap and the sandwiches are really good. I also love the Earl Grey lemonade."
"My favourite samples from F&W were the shrimp taco from Mexico and the scallop from Brazil. Our least favourite was the pork belly, also from Brazil."
3 October Game Points Earned + 2 Bonus Points for name and toppings bar pic + 5 Bonus Points for trip synopsis
Next in on Tuesday was Melissa's (Poohs100AcreWood) update from her lunch at the Polynesian's...
Menus
"I chose the teriyaki steak."
"It was pretty good, and you can't see it, but there's a second ball of rice behind the steak. I wish they would do a vegetable instead of the pasta salad, because this was just too many carbs."
"The cool thing is they have displays of the desserts by the kitchen so you can see exactly what you're getting. I ordered this, an apple crumble thing, and it was so good! The ice cream is cinnamon flavored and the brittle on top had bacon in it!"
10 October Game Points Earned + 3 Bonus Points for sign and menu pics
Next in on Tuesday was a great update from Patty (emmebear) & Emme from their day at the F & W Festival.
Patty said, After a lazy morning on Saturday, we made our way to Epcot and arrived at 10:30. I could not believe how crowded it was. Absolutely ridiculous!"
"My first stop was...
"And my choices were...
Cheddar Cheese Soup
Moosehead Lager
"Look how hot it was outside for so much condensation to be on the glass. It was a scorcher."
"Le Cellier" Wild Mushroom Filet Mignon
"The soup was so delicious but it was a bad choice as the weather was really hot (like 90 degree hot). The filet was cooked perfectly. My beer was warm and that made me sad but overall, it was a good start."
"Meanwhile, it took me from entrance to Canada, about 45 minutes to get my food. Emme decided she was still tired from the night before so she took a nap."
"Up next...
"Kim Crawford Chardonnay, which paired with...
Steamed Green Lip Mussels
"There was a lot of melted butter for my mussels. The mussels weren't overcooked and I enjoyed them. Unfortunately, my wine was warm, which made me mad. I wanted a cool glass of Chardonnay but they were pre-poured and were sitting so hence warm Chardonnay."
"I had an entire list of things I wanted to try from 18 countries but at this point, it was so crowded that I chose whatever place had the least amount of people. I still was in shock as to how busy Epcot was. I visited 3 time last year (Fri.-Sunday) and it was nowhere near as crowded."
"I was desperate for a cold one and the lines were so long but this place was virtually empty. So I stopped for a beer at...
"Oberon Ale, one of my favorites!"
"Finally! A cooold beer. I was a happy camper."
"I continued my walk and ended up here...
"And I chose the Baked Cheese Ravioli."
"Very meaty and full of flavor."
"And look who woke up and devoured the entire portion, minus one (there were four per serving)."
"Italy got Emme's approval! She loves ravioli and I was so excited she was eating."[/COLOR]
"The next stop was on my list of countries to try...
"I love Ethiopian food and Berbere is used heavily in this cuisine. The Ethiopian restaurant in my city closed and I was so sad so I was excited for this dish."
Berbere-style Beef
"The dish needed more berbere, which disappointed me. However, it had such a nice spice flavor profile that it surprised me. It was my favorite food item at the Food & Wine Fest. I really enjoyed it very much."
"Then I stopped by the motherland...
...where I got the Kimchi dog."
"Ok, I had absolutely no hope for this. Kimchi is such an amazing food item but it's definitely an acquired taste. I figured this would be a watered-down version. I was surprised with the slight spice of the hot dog and the kimchi flavored cole slaw. It was very good! This was my second favorite item at the festival. What an awesome 3 bites of food. My only regret was that I wish it was a whole hot dog!"
"Our next stop was at...
"I got the Trick'n Chick'n Curry...
"Honestly, I didn't want this, as I eat Gardein at home but it had the shortest line. Emme ate all the rice. The curry had nice flavor, but my Gardein chicken patty was cold."
"After Terra, Brazil had a "short" line of about 15 people...
...so I waited and got these."
Seared Scallop
"The scallop wasn't very seared. I didn't get to try it because Emme knocked the plate onto the ground. So tragic. I did get to try the rice and hearts of palm and it had good flavor."
Crispy Pork Belly
"The pork belly was crispy but it was plated early so the bottom was a little soggy from the black beans. Emme enjoyed the black beans very much."
"My last food item from the booths was from...
Australia
Garlic Shrimp with Roasted Tomatoes, Lemon Myrtle and Rapini
"Paired with...
Wolf Blass Gold Label Chardonnay
"Ok, so the shrimp were a good size and I enjoyed them. But the rapini was putrid. It was very bitter. Not sure if it was from the burnt garlic (maybe) but it was not edible. I actually spit it out. The shrimp might have been better with a watercress salad...anything but that rapini."
14 October Game Points Earned + 20 Bonus Points for sign/menus and pics of Emme & Patty
Next Paula (smile4stamps) sent us a great update from her dinner on Monday at...
"The hostess with her Vanna pose."
"We were escorted up in the elevator and our first view of the restaurant was...
"We were about 40 minutes early so we had a seat at the bar."
"Hunter ordered his rum and diet Coke."
"No sooner did he receive his drink than our favorite Chef was right behind us...and right after that our table was ready!! Hunter went to the table and I settled the bar tab."
"The view from our table...
"Finally a look at the menu...
"Without even really having a chance to look at the menu though these appeared in front of us!"
"It's the pork belly nigiri! I had planned to order this anyways so having presented was awesome!!"
"We of course were presented with bread and butter...
"The lavender focaccia bread is awesome!"
"And again we were presented with something else. It was a component of one of the apps but didn't even pop at me because the other parts are seafood."
"Yummy bone marrow with crostini!"
"They had our favorite wine on the menu!!"
"Finally we ordered something...
...the Duck in all its Glory!"
"And boy, oh boy it really was! We loved this!"
"After this it was time for some fireworks...
"Then it was back to the table for our shared main course."
"Hunter had selected the filet...
...and it looked gorgeous!! We were so full though it was a struggle to get down. Amazing though. Was cooked perfectly and the flavors amazing!"
"Of course we couldn't leave without dessert."
"We had a bite of each and enjoyed them but at the level of fullness we were at, we didn't do them justice."
"Here I am in a food coma...
"Hunter and Chef Eddie...
"And me feeling a little tipsy leaving the Contemporary...
10 October Game Points Earned + 8 Bonus Points for sign, menu, misc. pics, and pics of Hunter and Paula
Next in was this interesting informational update from Jeri (jerseytinkerbell).
She said, "I was just in Downtown Disney a few days ago and nothing was different. Then we went today for a movie and I came across this new construction."
"Looks like Wetzels Pretzels is closed to make room for a new Starbucks! I didn't know they were doing this so I was shocked to see this area boarded up today."
We also received a F & Wine Festival update from Jamie (DisneyDreamerMN) on Tuesday.
She said, "On Friday late afternoon we headed to Epcot."
"Our first stop was...
Craft Beers
...where I chose the Beer Flight 1.
Beer Flight 1: Dogfish Head Brewery Namaste, Abita Brewing Company Fall Fest, Leinenkugel’s® Seasonal Shandy, Florida Beer Company Devil’s Triangle
"This is where I noticed people were having a REALLY great time and it was only 5 pm."
"Next up was...
...where we sampled the pork slider.
"There may be two bites taken out of that sandwich...we were really hungry and forgot to take a photo. I know some people have mentioned not liking this slider, but I thought it was awesome."
"The next booth we stopped at was...
Ireland
"Kyle wanted to try the Lobster and Seafood Fisherman's Pie."
"This was the best thing, well maybe tied for first, we tried at any of the booths this trip. I could have eaten 3 and died happy."
"Next we stopped at...
Belgium
...where we tried the Potato and Leek Waffle with Braised Beef."
"This was the other item that we tried that is tied for first. This was very savory and delicious. This could easily be made into a meal, just so good."
"Next we stopped at...
...where we tried the Kefta Pocket."
"This was just OK. It fell apart very easily."
"We then stopped by...
Japan
...where we tried the Teriyaki Chicken Hand Roll. "
"Again, this was just OK."
"We then made a stop at...
Hops and Barley
"I wanted to try the lobster tail this time and to get another lobster roll."
"The tail was great but it was so small. I didn't care for the roll this time even though I loved it on Monday."
"We took a small break and listened to a few Night Ranger songs."
"Next we headed over to Italy and picked up a tiramisu from the coffee cart."
"This was so yummy and a great portion size."
"Next I grabbed some caramel popcorn from Karamell Kuche."
"This was so good. Kyle normally doesn't eat any sweet popcorn, but he loved this. I am regretting not buying any to bring home."
"The last booth we hit was...
...where we ate the Black Pepper Shrimp with noodles."
"The portion was huge but I found it to be rather bland."
14 October Game Points Earned + 8 Bonus Points for signs/menus and misc pics
The last update received on Tuesday was sent to us by Jim (jimnlahaze).
He said, "We were supposed to go to Rainforest Cafe, but we overslept, so instead went to breakfast at OKW's...
"Lee Ann had Olivia's breakfast, which was two eggs anyway (scrambled with cheese), fried potatoes instead of the potato casserole, and crispy bacon with gluten free toast."
"I had the Poached Eggs and Hash, that is served with Key West Hollandaise sauce which has key lime juice in it."
"Very good food and great service. We liked it so much we might do it again tomorrow."
5 October Game Points Earned + 3 Bonus Points for sign, menu, and misc. pic
Now for our First Update of the Day from Wednesday, sent to us by Melissa (Poohs100AcreWood).
She said, "For dinner yesterday before MNSSHP, I stopped at...
Menu
"I did something I told myself I wasn't going to do this trip: order a burger."
"It was very slow in here and I was the only one ordering for a long time. It took awhile because they made this fresh. It was really good. I was also happy to find out the chips are the same ones they serve at Jolly Holiday at Disneyland, which I love."
"For dessert I chose the root beer float cupcake."
"Thank goodness the mound of frosting is actually dome-shaped cake, otherwise it would've been sickening. Good flavor, not overpowering, but I still couldn't finish this thing."
"At MNSSHP, I stopped by...
"I had the pumpkin waffle that is available here only during the party."
"It was okay. The ice cream was melting too fast and turning the waffle into mush. It had a great flavor though."
"My night was perfect after this moment!"
4 October Game Points Earned + 6 Bonus Points for signs/menus, misc. pic and First Update of the Day
"This was good, but it was just a burger. The pickles definitely helped give it a nice contrast in flavors. It would have been too plain without them."
"Next we stopped at...
"Here I tried the California Roll.."
"This was my first time ever trying sushi and I was not a fan. I gave the rest of it to Rob, who enjoyed it even though he had never had sushi before either. Guess I'm just weird."
"Next Rob stopped at...
Where he got the Ksar white wine...
...and the Baklava."
"This surprised me because he never goes for the sweets but he really loved the baklava."
"Then it was on to...
...for my third escargot."
"I can't resist these! Every time we walk past the booth I can't help myself!"
"Here Rob tried the Sparkling Pomegranate Kir."
"This was a favorite for him!"
"Next I stopped at...
"Where I tried the Frozen S'more."
"I only got this because I was so hot and it did help cool me off, but it had no flavor. It was basically a chocolate milk slushie."
"Rob cooled off by stopping at...
"He tried the Red Hook Audible Ale."
"He gave me a sip. It was okay. It was no grapefruit beer."
"Next I stopped at...
...for the black pepper shrimp."
"This was surprisingly flavorful. I thought the noodles would be really plain but they had some nice flavor to them. The shrimp were really good too."
"Then we took a short break to see Boyz II Men at Eat to the Beat."
"On our way out of Epcot I made a final stop at...
...for the waffle with chocolate ganache.
25 October Game Points Earned + 31 Bonus Points for sign/menu pics, misc. pics and pics of Rob & Jeri
Then we received this update from Paula (smile4stamps).
She said, "I forgot to send you a short update from before our California Grill dinner."
"We had some time to spare before dinner and so we headed to one of our favorite places."
"We were feeling quite drained from the heat and all our moving around so wanted something with caffeine. Hunter ordered a coffee with Jameson and something else. I wasn't really feeling like HOT coffee but after sitting there for a little while trying to figure it out I went with a Keoke coffee (coffee, brandy, and Kahlua I believe)."
"Mine is the fuller one since I took so long to decide! Once those were gone we went for colder drinks but I didn't get any pictures."
1 October Game Point Earned + 1 Bonus Point for name
