No Longer coming to you Live from Disney World! Take 3 DDW'S TAMBU LOUNGE 8/6

[Couchy]

Great 50 PT review...love the video Brenda

 

[wilma-bride]

Our first visit to 50s PT was a huge hit but our last not so much. I think you guys might have convinced me to try it again. Well, it may have been you or the fried chicken

By the way, Barb, I just showed Gary the 'go-kart/fan contraption' to which he commented "I'd love a go on that". So looks as though we may be heading your way sometime soon Seriously, though, I hope your DH does decide to come along in October. I'm a tad worried that Gary might not cope as admirably with being the only fella amongst a gaggle of women as Hunter did.

 

[rachel09985]

I forgot about Corey and my mini lunch so I am going to sneak it here real quick.

We went to La Cava del Tequila and got chips n guac and chips n queso. Yum! I loved their guac, it was the first time I had it. Corey really loves their queso.





I did not partake in any of their wonderful margaritas or tequila offerings because last time I did that I was so out of it in the world showcase, so I stuck with pop.

Then Corey and I needed a little sweets so we went to the France ice cream shop. Corey got a cone and I got the new ice cream pressed brioche.





Oh my lord, this was amazing. I was not expecting to like this a lot at all, but it surpassed my expectations. It is crazy how they press the brioche to make the ice cream stay in there. I got caramel ice cream with a little chocolate syrup. It is so weird that it was good but it was. The warm bun with the cold ice cream was wonderful, along with the fresh brioche.

Then Corey had to leave to fly back It was pretty cool because we rode on the elevator with Roy Halladay who was a pitcher for the Phillies and he actually announced his retirement that day. When they stepped on the elevator, Corey was about to pee his pants and told him Nice Career. Then Roy's wife complimented Corey on his Arrested Development shirt.

After Corey left I spent a little bit of time in DTD before I had to meet up at 50s Prime Time.

I loved these things



I also fell in love with these christmas trees at DTD. They were gold and pink!!! My favorite!



Then I had to head to HS. I think everyone was trickling in when I got there.

I haven't been to 50s Prime Time since 2006 so I was very excited to try it again. Last time we had a hilarious waiter who spoon fed me the collard greens because I wouldn't eat them.



This time our waiter was a little less mild. He still played the character a bit- but only because we egged him on. We were his last table of the night so I am sure he wanted to hurry us on out. Either way- he was decent.

I knew what I wanted and I wanted the sampler.



I really loved the chicken, it was fresh, hot, crispy, and great! I liked the mashed potatoes too. The pot roast was ok, but not as good as Liberty Tree Tavern. The meatloaf was bad, it was lukewarm and just not pleasant.

I also had a taste of Barb's PB&J milkshake. That thing was tasty! I was not expecting it to be that good.

All in all, we had a great time with lots of laughs!

Love these tables!



However, we were not done with Disney for the night!

After persuading Em, we finally got her to come to Magic Kingdom with us!

When we walked in the electrical parade was starting so we watched the whole parade, which I adore



After the parade I really wanted to meet Talking Mickey so we went in since the line was short.



He was..interesting. I didn't realize he just had pre recorded things that he says, I actually thought he could personalize it! Silly me! Our meet was really rushed to the person in front of us who had some elaborate card game.

Paula and I really wanted to ride Splash Mountain and we got everyone to agree but it was closed!!! grrrr! Then we settled for Country Bears, which I have never seen. It was funny!



I am not sure if we went on something else afterwards.

Anyways, great night at Magic Kingdom! So fun!!

 

[emmysmommy]

Vicki: You're right, Em didn't like those collard greens so she was happy to share!

Rachel: I think everyone who tried Barb's PB&J shake was wondering how they could suck the whole thing down without her noticing.

I'm so glad that we went to MK after since we were not done having fun that evening.

JennyWren: I love your horizons being expanded! Disney style of course.
My favorites at DL resort area include Carnation Café (especially breakfast), Café Orleans and Plaza Inn. For some quick options the River Belle is a favorite for their roast beef. At DCA I'm less into the table service options there and prefer the Wharf for sandwiches/soups and Cove Bar for appetizers and cocktails.

 

[jabead]

Rachel, your ice cream brioche sandwich sounds wonderful! I am definitely adding that to my mile long snack wish list for my upcoming trip.


Since Rachel was the final reviewer of our last meal from Monday, Dec. 9th, that day is now complete. Looking ahead to Tuesday, we have another food-filled day to review for you. Day 6 will include 3 breakfasts, 2 lunches, and a dinner plus a few snacks thrown in there for good measure. In addition, all 6 remaining reporters partied at MVMCP on Tuesday night.

Sadly though, Tuesday was the day that we had to say good-bye to Rachel but not before I got to have one more meal with her. I believe that Rachel will be starting us out today with the reviews of her final meal from the December trip, which is perfect timing since she leaves tomorrow for Disney World! She and Patty will be doing some live reporting for us while they are there next week as a preview to the full dining report that they are doing together when they return home.

 

[rachel09985]

We had an early morning breakfast at Akershus today. I walked over from the Yacht Club, which was glorious! That walk to Epcot made me fall in love with the Yacht Club.



Brenda, Emily, and Barb were there when I was there and then we checked in and got sat really quickly, but first we had to take a photo with Belle!



This was my first time at Akershus ever so I was very excited. Our table was kind of in an odd spot, all the way in a back corner but there wasn't anything wrong with it.

The cold buffet was decent. I knew what to expect but I wish there was a little better fruit options.



Then they started bringing out our hot food! We did not have enough room on the table at all, it was very cramped.



The bacon and cheesy potatoes were very good, as everyone says. We actually got a second helping of the potatoes.

We also got a huge plate of mickey waffles, which were glorious and delicous! They were so fresh.



Then the characters started coming. It was hilarious how many cameras were going off with the characters!



I am not a fan of this Sleeping Beauty.



This Snow White definitely fits the part.



Such a beautiful Ariel!



Brenda holding up our picture which was complimentary. Barb and I each kept one of the little prints.



And there you have it! It was a simple breakfast but fun because of the princesses! It is very pricey for the food but if you want a character meal only with the princesses this is the way to go because of the price. I personally liked CRT better but I loved trying this, especially with my dining companions!

Afterwards Em and Barb went back to their hotels and Brenda and I did some character hunting! She volunteered to wait with me to meet Anna and Elsa. We ended up waiting 1 hour and it was brutally hot. I was so sweaty when we got to meet them. I asked her to practice her ice powers on me because I was drenched.







This picture is blurry- sorry!



Then we went to meet Duffy, which was one of the best interactions I have ever had with a character.





I asked him to turn around so I could get a picture of his hidden mickey on his butt but he was soo embarassed.







He was seriously so cuddly. I just wanted to snuggle with him all day!!





And that ended my time with Brenda, I so enjoyed our character hunting time!

However, i still had a bit more time in Epcot so I wondered around.



I ended up having a Margarita from mexico and a jalapeno cheese pretzel. Yum, that was delicious!

After I went back to the hotel, I had one last club level sesh and gave an older couple my oreo bon bons since I coudn't eat all of them.



And that concludes my contribution. I had a wonderful time and wish it could have been longer. Hopefully our paths will cross again!

Looking forward to contributing some fun pics this next week!

 

[jabead]

Barb's review from our pre-park opening breakfast at...





Tuesday morning included two firsts for me. One of these was being on the Mexico/Norway side of World Showcase prior to park opening. Since I frequently stay at the Epcot resorts and enter Epcot through the International Gateway, I have often seen the UK/Canada side looking relatively deserted during the early morning hours. But for the first time, I got to see an empty Mexico...







An empty Norway...







And no one in sight for as far as the eye could see...





Of course, the presence of strollers on the left-hand side of the photo meant that other humans besides Brenda, Em, and me did indeed still exist in this part of the "World".



Anyway, it wasn't long before Rachel joined us in Norway and we checked in for my first-ever character meal at Akershus. We began by having our (included in the price of the meal) photo taken with Belle.





Since there were 4 of us (which I think is the cutoff to determine whether you get more than one photo package for your group) we received only one package of this photo. This included one 6" x 8" and I think four 4" x 6" photos, which we divvied up between us.


Anyway, it was very nice to see Belle out of her apron and looking more princess-like in her beautiful golden yellow ball gown.



I hadn't been inside this castle for many years, since prior to it converting to a character dining venue. So when I entered the dining room, it was like I was doing so for the first time.






Ahh...there are all the humans which belong to those strollers parked outside.


This looked very much like what I would imagine a centuries old Scandinavian castle would, with white stone walls, high beamed ceilings, leaded-glass windows, and beautiful pointed archways. I would give Disney an "A" for theming on this one.



Unfortunately, we were not seated in the beautiful main dining area. Instead we were seated in the corner of a small room that seemed more like a hallway to the princess' break room.





Yep, located just behind Snow's head was the door to the break room, so it was just us (armed with three cameras) standing in the way of their 10 minutes (or so) of freedom. We of course made them earn their break, as each princess was asked to pose for pictures with Rachel...








Brenda & Em...






...and me.








Now on to the food. Here is what I chose from the cold buffet offerings...





I didn't make any notes regarding my choices here, but I think they included muenster and gjetost (the brown one) cheeses, salami, smoked salmon, apple?? turnover, danish, lingonberry muffin, and grapes and strawberries...which were especially delicious when dipped in the yogurt.



I also requested both orange juice and coffee with my meal.





I didn't take any photos of the platter of hot food which was presented to us, as I knew that Rachel and probably Brenda had taken some already. I tried a little of everything and thought it was all very good. I was especially happy to finally get to try the famous cheesy potatoes...



{Photo taken by Patty (emmebear) for the live thread}

These were as good as Patty and others have said. Very yummy!

Brenda also knew to request some Mickey waffles, so I got to have these for a second time this trip. Thanks Brenda! Again no pic, but Rachel took one and probably Brenda did too.


The one thing which might deter me from returning to Akershus is the cost. While not as expensive as having breakfast at Cinderella's castle, at a cost of $43.99 it was still $15 - $20 more than our breakfast at Crystal Palace. [I can't find my CP receipt for an exact comparison] Now I know that the Akershus price includes a photo package, but frankly I would rather have my $15+ and have the photos be an optional purchase (as it is at other character meals). So with the food being pretty much equally good, and having no real preference regarding the characters, I would have to say that Crystal Palace came out on top for me. However, on my next trip I think I will be trying the character breakfast at Cape May with Patty and Emme, so we will see how it compares to the others. I haven't been to Cape May for more than 10 years, so it will again be like a whole new experience for me.
​

 

[emmysmommy]

Brenda's Akershus Breakfast Review​

It had been several trips since Em and I booked an Akershus breakfast. As much as I love the cheesy potatoes and Mickey waffles, it really is a bit pricy. For a princess character breakfast I prefer CRT. However, as much as it may not deliver much more for the price compared to any other character experience, it wasn't a complete waste of money.... we were having breakfast with these lovely ladies!

As Barb noted, it felt like we had the park all to ourselves on the walk from International Gateway to Norway.

By the time we made it to Norway and checked in we had a short wait so.... more photos.

We posed with Belle as a group and then mother/daughter and individuals.

As Barb and Rachel noted, our seating location wasn't the best. We created some grid-lock when we were trying to get up and pose with the princesses since there wasn't a lot of room to move around. We worked out a pretty good process of Em and me posing, then Rachel, then Barb. We just kept handing off cameras and rotating around. You should have seen us. We were as organized with that as we are with these dining reviews!!

Despite being in a corner location, the restaurant was decked out for Christmas. It had wreaths in the windows – such a beautiful festive touch.

We started with the cold buffet which had a lot of options ranging from deli meats, fish selections, fresh fruit, danishes and pastries, yogurt and granola.
Fresh OJ and coffee was served as well as any other fountain beverage requested.

Cold buffet options:

For my cold plate I started with fresh fruit and berries, a cherry Danish, and a cinnamon roll.

The hot platter of food included scrambled eggs, cheesy potato casserole, bacon and sausage as well as a separate platter of Mickey waffles.

For my next course, the fruit and danishes were replaced with eggs, potato casserole and 2 glorious Mickey waffles! I’m always happy eating here since this is all my favorite breakfast foods in one place.

Rachel demonstrated the bacon in all its limpness.

Part 2 continued....
​

 

[emmysmommy]

Akershus Breakfast Review Part 2 with Bonus Content​

The princesses made their rounds which meant we were ready to abandon our food and get up and pose with each.

Cinderella was first up.

Then Aurora

And a lovely Snow White

And finally Ariel in her new dress

Group photo

We finished up and used our Tables in Wonderland to save $17.60.

Em and Barb said good-byes to Rachel since she was leaving this day. Em was returning to the resort and I was hanging out in Epcot awhile longer. I wanted to see Elsa and Anna with Rachel so we hopped in line for an hour wait to see these beautiful characters.

I have to include the Duffy interaction with Rachel here since it was so adorable. When Rachel said that she wanted a photo of Duffy's Mickey head on his rear you would have thought that she'd asked him to drop his drawers. Well, actually he had since he had no pants but that's another joke.

It took Duffy awhile to get over the shame

And then they posed

Group photo

Duffy and Brenda

It was a cute interaction and I was glad that I was able to capture some photos of this encounter. I was bummed to say good-bye to Rachel since we had some great time together!

Have fun at WDW this week Rachel.
​

 

[buzz1121]

I'm guessing that cheesecake was a special just for the holidays - which is a real shame since I absolutely adore the combination of chocolate (any chocolate) with mint and cheesecake is my favourite dessert in the world.

Guess that's another reason to add to my ever-growing list of reasons to visit Disney at Christmas

Joh, you are absolutely correct. It is my understanding that Tony's does indeed rotate the offered chessecake by season. There may be other varieties, but I know strawberry and pumpkin make appearances in the spring and fall respectively.

I am so glad to read about your great experience at Tonys! It is a restaurant that I always gravitate back to with mixed (although usually more bad than good) results. I plan to once again return in September with DH because I just love the restaurant, especially the patio section. I don't have high expectations for the food but your review has given me hope!

I wish you much luck Vicki! I had read many reviews that the marinara sauce left much to be desired, so I elected alfredo sauce to get around that possible issue. But DH thought the marinara sauce was good, and he is pretty particular about his pasta sauces. We plan on going back to Tony's on our next trip.

Sooooo the beginning of last week we started kicking around the idea of doing something for my baby's 3rd birthday (April 8th) we looked at Wisconsin Dells (think water park / hotel combos) or even just a night or two at Mall of America but Marshall was adamant that he wanted to go "home" so finally he explained you know momma our other home, Disney World! Too cute to say no to, so my husband convinced me to try driving so we will be in WDW April 4th - 9th and yes October 17th - at least the 22nd for my 30 something Bday any chance the Buzz family will be around either of those times?

As for Tonys we may just gave to try it again the Live thread updates were always favorable and the Alfredo sauce chicken parm sounds awesome! Marshall was given a Buzz at Coral Reef that trip from someone who walked by and saw him looking at the drink menu and thought he was cute, our waiter at Sci Fi gave him a Lightning McQueen and kissed his head for being such a good little eater. I love those little surprises for the kids they enjoy it so much!

Uh-oh Sue, look out! If that car trip goes well, you just may find yourself in the World much more often!

We are looking at going for a Star Wars weekend when the kids get out of school. That time period will include my birthday, which would be really nice.

And grrr, I'm still waiting on the school to release the school calendar for next year. I'm going to get that information this week, but it is entirely possible that your dates may overlap ours for a few days.

I would love to meet Marshall and see you again!

Glad you had such a great time at Tony's - we too had a great meal there last summer and I also had this entree based on live thread reviews. Our server (male) was great. We're definitely going back

That's "great" to hear Jeanette! Maybe Tony's is on an upswing!

 

[buzz1121]

In the spirit of the Six Degrees of Barb trip count, I should note that if Barb left HS on Monday night after the 50's Prime Time Dinner and traveled to MK's EMH, we have our third close encounter as we were there following our Tony's dinner until park close.

And I have to say that the group's Akershus breakfast looked really good. We have never been to Akershus, but the cheesy potatoes look so good! And maybe I'm the only person like this, but I had no idea how to pronounce the dining spot's name a few years back when we started our regular trips to Disney so I googled it and heard a voice pronounce it as OCK-ER-SHUSS. It's kinda fun to say!

Onto day three of our adventures at WDW.

On the third day of our Christmas trip, our family chose to eat...Breakfast at Roaring Forks.

As we were staying at the WL, it was a simple elevator ride and walk to our breakfast destination.

As it was pretty early, Roaring Forks was not very crowded at all, though it does get tend to get more crowded as guests start to stir and get their day going.

We grabbed a few simple breakfast selections. Other than DS, we all shared what we had, having a few bites of everything.

So we'll start with DS's breakfast, since other than the bacon, which he won't eat, he ate on his own.

DS selected the kid's portion of Mickey waffles with chocolate chips, chocolate sauce, and whipped cream, though the whipped cream had either melted or was eaten before I got a picture.



I am always amazed at the speed in which DS is able to put away his food. This speed seems to be increasing with age so I cringe to think of what it will be like when he is a teenager!

DH, DD1, the baby and I shared a few items, a banana nut muffin and a kid's portion of scrambled eggs, bacon(with DS's contribution), grapes, and a supplemented banana.






Our quick, fast breakfast was good. The banana nut muffin was very moist. Little DD2 liked the scrambled eggs and grapes. DD1 liked the banana and bacon. DH and I just ate whatever the kids didn't, like good parents usually do.

With a little fuel, we were ready to tackle seeing a few lions and tigers, and water buffalo, oh my!!!

 

[jabead]

In the spirit of the Six Degrees of Barb trip count, I should note that if Barb left HS on Monday night after the 50's Prime Time Dinner and traveled to MK's EMH, we have our third close encounter as we were there following our Tony's dinner until park close.

Sadly, not this time DeeDee. Though the spirit was willing that night, the body definitely was not. After our dinner at Prime Time, the old lady of the group headed back to her room and was fast asleep while the kids were off having fun at Magic Kingdom.

 

[buzz1121]

Sadly, not this time DeeDee. Though the spirit was willing that night, the body definitely was not. After our dinner at Prime Time, the old lady of the group headed back to her room and was fast asleep while the kids were off having fun at Magic Kingdom.

Barb, I know what you mean about being Disney tired! The first few days I am excited and probably run off of that and adrenaline, but then all the walking, heat, and non-stop hours start to creep up on me and I find myself napping when the kids do after lunch. I find it hard to believe the days in the World dawn so early!!

 

[GoofySon'sMom]

I knew we were going to have a late night with MVMCP and I was leaving the next day so I once again chose a bit of extra sleep over meeting up for breakfast. Seeing the great reviews makes me regret that decision now!

As we were meeting up in the MK later for lunch, I headed back to the MSB/Starbucks ..



This time for an iced tea and a blueberry scone. Once again, tasty and satisfying. I again sat at the end of that alley way watching the World go by. A probably mid-20's guy comes running down ...

Him: Is that from Starbucks?
Me: Yes
Him: Did you get it here???
Me: Yes
Him: Is it close by??????
Me: Right up around the corner...you can't miss it
Him: THANK YOU SO MUCH! You made my morning!

So not everyone hates Starbucks in Disney!

A bit later while waiting for everyone, DS texted me this picture from home ....



To which I responded ...



And then got this that had been shown on the weather channel ...

 

[smile4stamps]

Dee-Dee... we were also staying at the WL and had our first meal of the day there... however ours was just a kids Turkey sadwich right as Breakfast turned into Lunch... I took a picture of it but I can't find it now. My husband enjoyed the tiny chocolate milk that came with it and we both had half the sandwich and fries with it.

Vicki! I totally remember that Hate Florida Day!! I remember feeling like it was TOO HOT for December while we were there. I was really hoping for milder temps and less humidity... but I prefer what we had to freezing like I did that last time I was there in December!

 

[Linda67]

Wonderful reviews from Akershus!
I just recommended it to a friend who is taking his Belle crazy daughter on an upcoming trip so happy to hear it was such a success

 

[Niki Andiokno]

Barb, I so want to visit this spring and ride your parachute contraption. Looks like so much fun. Also I can't wait till October. Your December meets look like they were so much fun.

 

[jabead]

Barb, I so want to visit this spring and ride your parachute contraption. Looks like so much fun. Also I can't wait till October. Your December meets look like they were so much fun.

If you should ever find yourself in the Lexington/Chenoa area of the state, let me know. Once Joh returns from her current trip to the World, then I will probably start an email group for October so we can start planning some DISmeets. Send me a PM (or a text if you still have my cell number) with your email address.

 

[jabead]

We have received some live updates from Disney World.

Patty and Rachel both arrived on Sunday and are staying at the Animal Kingdom Lodge Villas - Jambo House for the first three nights of their trip.


Patty sent this photo yesterday of the view from their room...




Then this morning Patty sent this "Good Morning" greeting from...





Later an update from their lunch at...




Patty said, "This was our first trip to Yak & Yeti."






"We named her Sally."



"We started with the wok-fried green beans...



"I wish I got the smaller side portion instead of appetizer. The green beans were crunchy and tasty but I would have liked a ranch dipping sauce. Emme also loved these."



"I had a Blood Mary...



"Nice flavor but not enough vodka. The celery salt was nice."






"Emme loved her Kids meal and I was happy to see that rice was a side item."





"I chose the Ahi Tuna appetizer as my entrée...



"I loved the ahi tuna and was surprised how fresh it was. I was just too full to enjoy it."



"Also got the pork egg rolls but they went straight in a box. I had one as a snack and they weren't fabulous but were decent. Not gonna lie...mine are better!"





"Our server also asked if I wanted sriracha sauce...



"I was so excited."



"For dessert, Emme got a Kid's Sundae...










"Overall, it was a pretty satisfying meal. I've been eating better and exercising so my stomach had shrunk (so tragic!). Yak & Yeti doesn't accept TIW but there is an AP discount, only on entrees though. So I received an 85 cent discount for Emme's meal."






After Animal Kingdom, they went back to AKL for some pool time...








...and Patty had a cocktail from the pool bar.





"Skinny Girl Coconut Mint Mojito...







"It was very refreshing and yummy!"​

Next up: A dinner update from Rachel

 

[jabead]

Now for an update from our other live reporter, Rachel.


She said, "Good evening from Disney! I had a wonderful meal from Sanaa so wanted to share."




"Bread service, we loved it!"





"My entrée was sustainable fish and it was so good! It was layered over carrots, shrimp, sweet potato purée, spinach and arugula on top!"





"Free birthday dessert - coconut cheesecake was very good."





"Also had to order the trio with chocolate mousse and chai cream. I enjoyed the chocolate mousse mixed with chai cream!"​