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

[emmysmommy]

Brenda's Liberty Tree Tavern Lunch Review​

Liberty Tree Tavern has long been a favorite – if you consider “long” to be since 2010! We ate lunch at LTT in August 2010 and have returned the last 7 visits, consistently making this a must do while at MK. If I count up the number of calories that I have eaten from the ooey gooey toffee cake alone in the last 7 visits I may be horrified to learn that this place single-handedly has contributed a few pounds to my backside. Nonetheless, I’m going to overlook that fact and just say that it is totally worth it.

As Barb noted, we had serious bus issues. Despite Barb's plea to please send a bus, don't they know we had some ooey gooey toffee cake waiting for us?? So we made it but not without breathing a sigh of relief when we saw the group still waiting for us when we arrived.

Evidence of them waiting for our arrival:

Linda mentioned we were seated in one of the colonial figures rooms, I believe it may be Betsy Ross since her section is directly behind us. Someone can correct me if I'm wrong.

Our lunch group: On the left from closest to farthest – Linda, Philip, Paula, and Hunter. On the right, Em, Vicki, and Barb.

I’ve stopped saying how I’m still bitter that they removed the Tri-Corner roast beef sandwich from the menu… yeah, ok I am. Here’s the thing about LTT, I love their pot roast. It is the best in all of WDW in my opinion. The split portion is plenty to share with the goal of ordering dessert at the end of the meal. This particular day, my dining companion decided that she was not in the mood for pot roast. Ohhhhhh kayyyyyy. She was however in the mood for a burger and lucky me, I talked her into splitting it with me since I wouldn’t have eaten a whole entrée for anything. Remember, the goal is to eat light enough to make room for dessert here.

Em consented to splitting the burger as long as she could order it to her preference. That doesn’t scare me since our tastes are similar. She chose Provolone cheese and mushrooms. There was a choice of fruit or French fries with the burger. I was sure hoping Em chose the French fries because if she went with the fruit I would have had to order a side of fries. Crisis averted, the kid went with the fries! We also ordered some of the Tavern Fried Cheese to split. It had been awhile since we’d ordered those so it was time for some fried cheesy goodness.

Linda & Philip:

Another group photo:

Tavern Fried Cheese with Marinara Sauce $5.99​

I’m also bitter that they got rid of the fried cheese nuggets and went 100% cheese logs a few years back. I much prefer the smaller rounder portions but this wasn’t bad. Honestly, I wish I could peek in the kitchen and see how they prepare the marinara sauce. It tastes very familiar, like an off the grocery shelf brand. But I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt and believer that there is a chef back there stirring the marinara pot.

The burger arrived already split with a pile of fries, lettuce, tomato, and a dill pickle spear on each plate. Nicely done LTT!

Angus Chuck Cheeseburger: (pre split) topped with your choice of bacon and cheddar or mushrooms and provolone. Served with fresh fruit or Tavern fries. $14.99​

This was just a burger – but it was very good! I was glad that Em had deviated from the “plan” and tried something new. And the fries were incredible. MK fries rock!

Ooey Gooey Toffee Cake: Vanilla Cake with a gooey toffee filling, caramel sauce, and vanilla ice-cream. $7.49​

Two words come to mind…. Completely. Awesome. This is the seriously best dessert in all of MK! I will continue to order this until it goes the way of the tri-corner sandwich. I scraped the toffee bits off the ice-cream then rolled it aside and dug into the cake.

Em ordered the Johnny Appleseed’s cake which she had tried before and found to be a new favorite. I had a taste and it was very good. Not to the caliber of the toffee cake but I can see where it would have its appeal.

Johnny Appleseed’s Cake: Tavern made white cake filled with apples and craisins dried cranberries, topped with ice-cream $7.49​

Brenda and Em

I'm looking forward to some more LTT in May!! This place continues to be a MK favorite.

We were spending the rest of the afternoon and evening in MK for MVMCP which we'll get to shortly....

​

 

[jabead]

Patty also sent another update from the Flower & Garden Festival today.


This time she started at...





Where she had...



Shrimp and Stone-Ground Grits with Andouille Sausage, Sweet Corn, Tomatoes, and Cilantro - $5.75


Patty said, "This was my favorite last year and this year the quality was just as good. I really enjoyed it."





"Snow White had a crown."


Next stop was...




Jessica ordered the...




Piggylicious Bacon Cupcake with Maple Frosting and Pretzel crunch featuring Nueske's Applewood-smoked Bacon - $3.50

"The frosting was tasty but the cupcake itself was dry. I don't thing it lived up to the hype."


"I had the...



Smoked Beef Brisket with Collard Greens and Jalapeno Corn Bread - $6.75

...along with a Fat Tire beer."

"The brisket was really tender but the corn bread was pretty dry. I loved the greens as they were seasoned perfectly."


Then on to...




Where Patty got the...






Temaki Hand Roll with sliced Panko Fried Chicken, Curry Sauce, Rice, and pickled Julienne Carrots wrapped with Nori - $4.95

Patty said, "I really loved this. It is exactly like the curry I make at home and the crispy chicken katsu was perfectly crisp. The carrots were vinegary and a nice addition to the roll. I loved everything about this. Two thumps up!


Then on to...




Where Patty had the...



The Iron Horse Fairy Tale Cuvee - $5.25


"The Fairy Tale Cuvee was the deal of the festival. It was less than $6 and so tasty. I really loved it."








Then at the regular Canada kiosk...




Patty said, "So I attempted to get the Trios Pistole from Canada (with only 10% alcohol) and once again they were out. They gave me the last 3 oz. and offered the La Fin du Monde (another 10% beer) for half price. I happily accepted."




"Enjoying our drinks...







Then on to the booth in France for...



Confit de Canard, Pommes de Terre Sarladaise - Pulled Duck Confit with Garlic and Parsley Potatoes - $5.50


"It was cooked well but really oily. I wouldn't order it again."



Next was a quick stop for a to go order from...




"I got the grape leaves...




"These were $8. They were good but not worth $8. I ordered this from the bar and got it to go."


"Then I went back to France and got this bacon and cheese bread from the bakery...




"It was $3.95 and HUGE. Soooooooo deliciously bacony and cheesy. I loved it. Went well with my beer."​

 

[GoofySon'sMom]

As the others have said were seated quickly once we were all there and our server was really good!

I started with the soup of the day, vegetable beef -



I remember it being tasty.

After ordering the pot roast, for reasons unknown I changed my mind to the fish & chips which was the special ...



This was actually quite tasty. Again, not sure why I made this choice but I ended up happy with my meal.

And lets face it, LTT is all about dessert ...



I absolutely love the Ooey Gooey Toffee Cake! I order it with the ice cream and then flop it the side so I just get the melty bits on the warm cake! Pure Heaven!

Another great meal with great company!!

 

[vettegirl]

I really need to try that cake once in my life !!

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

 

[Couchy]

Patty and Emme were at DHS today and had lunch at...


"Prime Time Café accepts TIW and the meal was a very good deal. We were both happy with our choices. What a steal for fried chicken!"

​

It's funny, your beer was more expensive than your entree

 

[buzz1121]

After the kids rested, it was time to head to MK for our pre-MVMCP dinner. The kids were very excited!

On the third day of our Christmas trip, our family chose to eat...Dinner at The Plaza.

I really like The Plaza. They have a great salad and some really good sandwiches. More often than not, a lunch or dinner here makes an appearance for us every trip. If I'm not mistaken every dinner prior to the start of MNSSHP or MVMCP has been at The Plaza for us.

The food here would be good on this outing, however, we did have what I believe was the oddest experience we have ever had while dining in Disney.

We did have a little wait before we were seated. Our ADR was at 5:35, I believe we were seated a few minutes before six.

DH selected a Philly Cheese Steak sandwich with french fries.




DH enjoyed this sandwich. He found it to be, in his words, "nice and cheesy".


When I eat at The Plaza I usually choose between two options, the chicken strawberry salad or the grilled chicken sandwich. On this particular evening I went with the grilled chicken sandwich.




The description of this sandwich as a grilled chicken sandwich is a little underwhelming on what I consider to be a great sandwich. There is indeed a marinated grilled chicken breast on the sandwich, but it also has shaved ham and swiss cheese. And The Plaza french fries are delicious. Crispy on the outside but soft and baked "potatoesque" on the inside.

This sandwich was once again delicious.


DS went with the kids peanut butter sandwich and fries.




The peanut butter was a little thin on his "goldfish" shaped bread. He wasn't too heartbroken however, as he had his thoughts on cookies and hot chocolate at the party ahead.


DD1 chose the kids grilled cheese and french fries for her meal.




The Plaza's grilled cheese is really good. As a tip, although it is not listed, they will make an adult grilled cheese that is usually a double decker.

Now, for the odd, and honestly a little disconcerting aspect, of our Plaza dining adventure. In our experience, usually Disney is very prompt in clearing away vacated tables. As we were one of the final seatings prior to their close before MVMCP, many tables were being prepped for the next day, all but the long table beside us.

We ordered, the table remained uncleared and honestly, messy. Our food was delivered, still the same status on the neighbor table. We start to eat and here's where the weird begins.

A custodian enters the restaurant with a large rolling garbage can. A server directs him to the table and instructs him to "get rid of everything". At this point mine and DH's ears really perk up. The custodian just stands there looking unsure of what to do and it becomes apparent that there is a little language barrier at play here as well.

A manager comes by and instructs him to "throw everything away" and by everything I mean everything, the plates, the silverware, the salt and pepper shaker, the container of sweeteners, everything is thrown into the trash can.

At this point, having almost finished our dinner, I am having visions of not sugar plums, but rather some looming intestinal illness. I literally could not get my family out of there fast enough. There was some whispered conversation among the waitstaff about the family at the vacated long table "wanting to stay to finish their meal"...etc.

DH and I discussed what this possibly could have been and came up with not a stomach bug, but perhaps a nosebleed? Any thoughts on what could possibly have caused so significant a reaction? It was odd.

Needless to say, despite a good meal prior to the table debacle, I left The Plaza feeling like I should have been wearing a hazmat suit while I dined.

Will I go back? Absolutely! The food is wonderful. But I just might bring the appropriate PPE with me next time!

 

[smile4stamps]

Well your meal looks good DeeDee... but VERY strange on the stuff on the table next to yours!

Were the people still there when you got there or the table was already vacant?!?

I would probably have been very nosy and asked the server what the issue was!

I can't imagine what it might be that would cause them just to throw everything away!!

 

[vettegirl]

That's crazy to throw everything away! I would have been concerned as well.

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

 

[jabead]

We received one live update from Patty yesterday, this one from their dinner last night at...




"Emme didn't want her picture taken."





Patty said, "We were seated in the room away from the main dining area but had a great view of the Seven Seas Lagoon. We specifically asked not to be seated in Jorge's section (my awful server on my last visit here). We have had pretty terrible service throughout this trip but Abdel was fantastic. We couldn't have asked for better service."


Their table was decorated with Mickey confetti for Jessica's birthday...




Patty started with a martini...



Napa Blue Martini - Charbay Vodka and Olive Juice with "Point Reyes" Blue Cheese-stuffed Olives





Patty said, "They changed the martini glass. I wasn't a fan of this glass but the martini was good."



Then it was sushi time...







Spicy Kazan Roll with Crab, Shrimp, Scallops, Tuna, and Fireball Sauce


"This was spectacular as always."



For entrees, Patty chose the new Scallop dish...



Jumbo Scallops and Grits with Crisp Pork Belly-Pepper Jack Grits, Creole Sauce, Pickled Okra, and Pepper Relish

Patty said, "The pork belly infused grits were amazing but I was disappointed that the scallops were so small, especially for $44.00. The scallops were cooked nicely though."



Rachel chose the Swordfish for her entrée...



Atlantic Swordfish with Parsnip Silk, Roasted Heirloom Beets, Arugula, Macadamia Vinaigrette, Beet Syrup

Note from jabead: Not sure if this description is correct, but maybe it is???


Patty said, "She enjoyed it. I had a bite and it was yummy."



For her entrée, Jessica had the...



Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Cauliflower Cream, Baby Spinach, Hazelnut Emulsion, Minus 8 Vinegar


"This is a great vegetarian option and I loved it! The gnocchi was perfectly cooked. Soft pillowy goodness with a great chewiness to it."



For dessert, Rachel had ordered a birthday cake for Jessica...



Vanilla Cake with White Chocolate Mousse and Raspberries




"This was yummy. Not too sweet and the raspberries were tart. Rachel expected brighter colors but she way happy with it."





"We had a great time celebrating Jessica's birthday." ​

 

[emmysmommy]

Rachel/Patty: What a great celebration meal for Jessica! That's a perfect cake! You guys look like you are having a lot of fun.

DeeDee: I'm a nosey type too, I would have asked what's the deal. I can see where that situation would make you want to exit post haste! Yikes. I wonder what that deal was??

 

[smile4stamps]

Was Abdel a Middle Eastern male? If so than he was our server on our first Oct 2013 visit and I agree he was FANTASTIC!

The meal looks great!

Barb... the description of the fish looks right!

Can't wait to return for your Birthday Barb! I will confess now though do not be expecting a cake

 

[emmysmommy]

Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party​

With some of our Favorite DISers!! December 10, 2013​

This was my first MVMCP event so it was exciting to be able to share it with this group of DISers! Even though the party lasts until midnight, I felt like a kid in a candy shop since I wanted to do and see it all in those few hours!

We accomplished a lot this evening including riding a few rides, joining Jessie and Woody’s dance party, meeting some special characters, watching the Holiday Wishes fireworks, and viewing the parade.

Our MVMCP gang included: Linda and her DH Philip, Paula, Vicki, Barb and her special guest, Em and me.

At 4pm they started handing out wristbands. We joined the line near PotC.
About this time we met the newest member of our group whom I’m sure Barb will be excited to introduce!

Our first ride was PotC but then we hopped over to the Jungle Cruise - err Jingle Cruise to check out their special holiday edition. There were a few Christmas decorations in the queue and the boats had been renamed but there were not too many changes to the skipper's spiel.

Our next stop was the Enchanted Tiki Room where our hosts, Jose, Michael, Pierre, and Fritz had us singing along. I'm pretty sure we all sang. And I'm pretty sure it was fabulous!!

Throughout the evening we raided the cookie dispensaries. As many Snickerdoodle cookies as you can eat! Delightful! Once I’d had enough cookies I started grabbing the apples slices. I’m not a hot chocolate lover so I didn’t try the liquid refreshments.

Here's the first stop for cookies and hot chocolate after the Tiki Room:

Next up was a special character meet and greet - Jasmine and Genie. We ran into Rob (Disneykid4Life) in line. He was attending his second MVMCP of his trip with Cheekypoppins (Carrie) and her daughter.

Group Photo: Where did Barb go?? I don't recall.

After this character meet we stopped in the Diamond Horseshow to check out Woody and Jessie's party. Bullseye was even out having a great time dancing around. The characters were so adorable with the little ones.

A very rare appearance by the 7 Dwarfs. We didn't stand in line but we happened to be there when they brought them back out so I took a photo when they were getting settled. Apparently Happy was happy to see us.

While the rest of the gang took a short break, Paula, Em and me posed with Minnie. She was wearing her pretty red dress and sparkly shoes.

Paula and I were not done with character meet and greets since we also received hugs and holiday greetings from Pooh, Eeyore, Piglet and Tigger. A meet with all 4 of them in their scarves was so cute.

Next up was one of the highlights and most anticipated event of the evening.... the Holiday Wishes spectacular! I've seen the Disneyland version many times but this was a sentimental favorite memory of the trip. It was very crowded where we were on Main Street... this will be significant in a little while.

Beautiful castle

Tink with the snowflake embellished castle!

Once the fireworks show concluded it was wall to wall people. We could barely move and with a group of 8 of us that is a nearly impossible task to stay together. We planned to head further down Main Street towards the exit to watch the 2nd parade but we became separated when some of us reversed course and saw open space and headed towards Adventureland. Barb, Paula, Em, and I ended up watching the parade in Liberty Square across from LTT. It was crazy crowded but that was to be expected since this was the 2nd main event of the evening!

After doing another cookie run we were seated on the ground for the parade; therefore the angle for my photos is rather an "up their nose" perspective!

Part 2 next....

​

 

[jabead]

Was Abdel a Middle Eastern male? If so than he was our server on our first Oct 2013 visit and I agree he was FANTASTIC!

The meal looks great!

Barb... the description of the fish looks right!

Can't wait to return for your Birthday Barb! I will confess now though do not be expecting a cake

No worries Paula...I do not plan to leave any room for cake. If I should have any room left at all for dessert, then I would be more than happy to have the fritters again. Yummy!

 

[emmysmommy]

Part 2

After the parade it looks like we split up again since the rest of the evening I have photos of Paula and Em on Splash, and the 3 of us at the Totally Tomorrowland Christmas Show.

Some fun with Celebrate the Season show (I believe)...

And Tomorrowland...

That party ended with snow and pyrotechnics!

The three of us posed for some photos on Main Street.

Our finest Charlie's Angels pose

We apparently were NOT a one pose trio!

What a great and memorable night!! Now I'm spoiled since I can't imagine not attending the party without these lovely ladies (and Philip!)

My final meet up of the night was with Rob who was so sweet and gave me a Mickey/Minnie Christmas ornament. Thanks again Rob!

I'm sure my MVMCP party pals will be sharing more fun from the evening....

​

 

[jabead]

Immediately following our Liberty Tree Tavern lunch, I left the group and headed out of Magic Kingdom toward my new resort, Wilderness Lodge. My daughter, Emily, had already arrived there and checked in for us and was now waiting for me in our room. She hadn't had much to eat since her breakfast at Wolfgang Puck's at O'Hare airport that morning, so I pulled out the Boardwalk Bakery box from my new bag and offered her its contents, which was a chocolate croissant and a chocolate chip cookie. She decided to save the croissant for her breakfast the next day, but quickly devoured the chocolate chip cookie...



She liked it a lot and asked for another one. Oops, I had only one. So I told her that we would get her more food once we got to Magic Kingdom. And so we were off to the park to rejoin the group and together attend tonight's Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party.

We still had plenty of time before the official start of the party at 7:00 so our entire group of 9 (Hunter stuck around for awhile until the party started) decided to do some rides together...Pirates of the Caribbean, Enchanted Tiki Room, and the holiday version of the Jungle Cruise were the ones that I remember, but there may have been more. It was so much fun to do these together as a group.

Then Emily reminded me that I had promised her more food so we broke away from the group for a bit to get her a snack from...










"And she ordered the Chili-Cheese Fries...



I was still too full from our late lunch at Liberty Tree, so I didn't ask her for a taste. But she had no problem with eating them all by herself, so I guess she liked them.

Apparently it was during this time that the group got their picture taken with Genie. Man, if I had known that, I would have made the kid wait a bit longer for those chili-cheese fries!!


Anyway, this was all we ended up having that night, other than the cookies and hot chocolate which were provided to everyone. I had planned to finally try the popcorn at Magic Kingdom, as I've never had it here but have heard that it is the best popcorn ever! Unfortunately though, we never got around to getting any so it remains on my "WDW Snacks to Try" Wish List. Maybe on my next trip to the World???


I'll share just a couple of the many photos that my daughter took of the castle decked out in its holiday bling...




And one of the fireworks, Holiday Wishes...




Despite our attempt to remain together, our group got separated while we were scouting out a place in front of the castle to view the fireworks. Emily and I were able to locate Brenda, Em, and Paula after the fireworks and we headed away from the massive mob of people on Main Street and toward Frontierland to find a less crowded spot to plop down and wait for the second showing of the parade. This ended up being across from Liberty Tree Tavern. While sitting here I received a text from DeeDee asking where we were. I believe that she and her family were getting a snack at Sleepy Hollow at the time so we were just right around the corner. A few minutes later, I was able to see DeeDee for the second time of my trip.



Sadly this was the last time that I saw DeeDee, but hopefully our paths will cross again someday at Disney World...maybe in October???


Shortly after the parade, Emily and I said our goodbyes and headed back to Wilderness Lodge. She had been up most of the night packing and then had taken a very early shuttle to the airport to catch her morning flight to Orlando, so she was exhausted. In our haste to leave, I don't think I got to say a proper goodbye to Paula (as she and Hunter were flying home the next day), which I felt bad about. However, now that I know that I will be seeing them again very soon (in about 6 weeks), I'm feeling much better.


And so it was back to our room, where this was calling my name...




But before getting ready for bed, I opened up my new bag that I had carried around for our entire evening at Magic Kingdom and found that I had forgotten to remove my holiday cupcake. So what had looked like this when I bought it at the Boardwalk Bakery that morning...




Now looked like this...




So glad I'd put on that "show" for my neighbors and taken all those photos of my beautiful cupcake that morning.
​

 

[GoofySon'sMom]

Brenda summarized our evening so well that I will just add a few photos -

It was great meeting Jasmine & Genie -\



Very fun watching the kids at the Woody's Round Up dance party ... I tried and tried to get a decent picture of Bullseye without much success ...



At least this one has Philip in it!

Very fun seeing the Dwarves ...



At this point, Em and I decided to share a snack ... I really wanted a hot dog and we shared some veggies, chips & hummus....







The falafel chips were really good ... I have looked for them here at home with no luck ...



After the fireworks Linda and I ended up by the Starbucks/MSB ... here were some of the treats ...



Finally a slightly better picture of Bullseye ...



And of course, Santa!



I was completely wiped out so I headed back to the buses and missed the rest of the fun with Brenda, Em & Paula! Love the Charlies Angels pose, Ladies!


A really great fun evening! So glad we ended up going!

 

[emmysmommy]

I wanted to share a photo of Barb and her Emily but then I came across this gem...

Barb and her lovely Emily

 

[buzz1121]

Well your meal looks good DeeDee... but VERY strange on the stuff on the table next to yours!

Were the people still there when you got there or the table was already vacant?!?

I would probably have been very nosy and asked the server what the issue was!

I can't imagine what it might be that would cause them just to throw everything away!!

It was very strange Paula and pretty unsettling. With the kids our usual park strategy is to hit the restroom sinks every 2 rides or so to try to get the germs off our hands during high sick seasons. With three kiddos we try to ward off as many bugs as possible.

The people who had been at the table were gone. There were no tell tale signs of what the "event" has been.

I have been working to obtain an OSHA thirty hour certification and I actually relayed the story to the instructor this week. He told me that he would suspect it was a "blood event" of some kind. He thought that due to the many types of blood borne pathogens that the Disney protocol might be to just get rid of everything instead of trying to ensure more specific incident targeted measures, dependent on knowing if a pathogen was in effect, were carried out.

When I think about it, this makes sense. That night however, it was very unsettling.

That's crazy to throw everything away! I would have been concerned as well.

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

It was by far the most unusual experience I have had while dining at WDW.

DeeDee: I'm a nosey type too, I would have asked what's the deal. I can see where that situation would make you want to exit post haste! Yikes. I wonder what that deal was??

I think my certification instructor's explanation sounds pretty plausible. But you are right Brenda! I was so torn in the moment between wanting to know and being afraid to hear!

 

[smile4stamps]

I unfortunately have not uploaded any pictures from the Party but I was with Brenda pretty much the entire time and she did a fabulous job of summarizing our evening!!

Okay... I lied.. I decided to stop being lazy and uploaded some pictures!!!
The last thing we all did together before Hunter took off was the group ride on the Jingle Cruise. Since it was dusk/dark I didn't take any pictures on the actual ride but I did get one of the Queue all festively decorated!

A picture of Hunter and I!

Outside the Jungle Cruise we all said goodbye to Hunter and I wished him a fun evening!

And it was just about 7:00pm now so we went to find some of the snacks!

I did have both the cookies and the hot chocolate! I was surprised that there was only one type of cookie though! I would have also have liked to have seen a warm cider along the hot chocolate! I guess that would be asking for too much!

Then it was onto the Dance Party... not that I wanted to dance but it was fun seeing the Toy Story gang out and boogying! Trying to get pics of that was a little difficult though!

Someone else must have been about to snap this same picture!

The lovely Miss Brenda!

From the Dance Party we headed to Fantasyland... I really wanted to do some character photos but many of the others decided to sit and take a break. Thanksfully! Brenda was on board!

We caught the seven dwarfs coming back out but the line was pretty long so we passed on them... But did manage to get a few pictures before the families came to say hi!

So instead of the Dwarfs we instead waited for Minnie Mouse as Brenda showed above! It was just the two of us waiting in line so Brenda offered for me to wear her extra Minnie Hat and I said Thanks! Em decided she wanted to be in the picture so she hoped in at the last moment! I was sad that there was no Photopass Photog but someone was kind enough to take our picture.

From there we decided to do Winnie the Pooh & Friends! My favorites!!

We then decided we better find spots for the Fireworks! It was insanely crowded in the Hub but we managed to find a location...

Isn't it beautiful?!?

Then as Brenda and Barb mentioned we managed to get separated from half the group and we never did end up finding them again!

Waiting for the parade I managed to find a place to sit on a wall... A family told me they were saving it and I asked if I could just sit there until they arrived? They never did arrive so I kept my seat...

The lighting wasn't good in our area and with only using my phone unfortunately I was not able to get decent pictures of the parade but I did enjoy it!

We did head to the Tomorrowland show and that was a fun way to end out the evening!

But even more fun that that was having our pictures taken with ALL the Photopass Photogs we could find on our way out!! It was fun coming up with different poses! Unfortunately a lot of the photographers were packing up and we kept being told.. " go to the next one" We did get some good ones though and it was a lot of fun.

We finally headed out and I took the boat back to the Wilderness lodge. I FULLY expected Hunter to be in the room when I got back as it was well past midnight... However, the room was empty...

So.. where was Hunter? Well he had been with us until the official start of the party and then he headed out to a fun evening of his own!

What were his plans?

He first headed to the Tambu Lounge to meet up with Chef Eddie! From there they headed to Mizner's Lounge where they could wait for Chef Phillip to get off work.

While there Hunter ordered some food...

That is the LARGEST piece of pork belly I have EVER seen!

Finally Chef Phillip was off work and free to join them.

I believe all three hung out at Mizner's for awhile and then Hunter and Eddie went to an offsite arcade/bar to have a fun evening! I was glad my husband had been able to do this so I could enjoy the party and he could have some fun with his Chef buddies!

 

[buzz1121]

After our "interesting" dinner at The Plaza, we headed out to grab our first cookies of the evening. Sadly, despite feeling pretty sure I had snapped a few shots of them, I have not been able to find them on mine or DH's phone. Thankfully, a few of the other MVMCP reviews from our night there included pictures of them.

Barb and I played text tag pretty much throughout a good portion of the evening. I believe Barb's phone battery had died and we were communicating through Emily's. Thank you Emily for tolerating the text exchange!

We rode a good many rides throughout the evening. This was our family's 2nd time at MVMCP. The kid's in particular love the toy soldier portion of the parade.

Onto our snacks. It seems that we did pickup the popcorn that Barb wanted to get that night. Disney popcorn is very good. My personal favorite location is actually right across from TSMM at Hollywood Studios.







We couldn't resist buying the Mickey Santa popcorn bucket. It is so cute! DH and DS picked the popcorn up while the girls and I were in line at Sleepy Hollow to pick up our other "unique to MVMCP snack".

DS and DD ate the popcorn while we waited for the 2nd parade to begin in Frontierland. We found a great front row spot, so the kids had a great vantage point for catching the action.

I had to get the gingerbread waffle with soft serve vanilla ice cream. DH and I had purchased the special MNSSHP pumpkin waffle back in September on our anniversary trip and I wanted to compare the two in terms of taste.





While the gingerbread waffle was good, the pumpkin waffle was a bit better overall. I'm glad DH and I were able to try it though!

After we had the waffle, we did indeed catch up to Barb, Em, and Emily for a few minutes before the parade started.

And with Barb at the WL the Six Degrees of Barb possibilities were in high gear, though as Barb indicated, it would be the last time I saw her in person on this trip. I'm working on October though!

One last picture of the Castle adorned with the beautiful icicles.