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

[Couchy]

Vicki and Barb - you both have me thinking I must try an Scotch egg !

Barb- you had me laughing so hard at the " across the pond" comment. How very English of you

 

[GoofySon'sMom]

Hi Barb! The thing on the plate is a deep fried pickle! I may have taken the other Ems? I love them!

And yes, Beth you must try the scotch egg! It is so bad and yet sooooo good!

I hope I will get to hop down for the one day in October. Still sorting thru our September trip. So not 100% yet but very hopeful!

 

[jabead]

Hi Barb! The thing on the plate is a deep fried pickle! I may have taken the other Ems? I love them!

And yes, Beth you must try the scotch egg! It is so bad and yet sooooo good!

I hope I will get to hop down for the one day in October. Still sorting thru our September trip. So not 100% yet but very hopeful!

Thanks Vicki! A deep-fried pickle makes perfect sense. Since Emily doesn't like pickles either, I'm surprised that it didn't end up on my plate. I wish it had 'cause it sounds yummy!


I'm really hoping to see you again in October, so will definitely keep my fingers crossed. But just in case, does anyone know if I could still be prosecuted for kidnapping if I take my victim to Disney World?

 

[Linda67]

So we are going slightly out of sync here but I though I would ‘chip in’ with my Rose & Crown review from a few days earlier in the trip

You may remember that DH and I, headed off to R&C following our Tutto Gusto/Slushie meet with the rest of the gang, to check in for the Candlelight Processional lunch package

This was our first time eating at R&C, it had just never really appealed to us, especially as we live in the UK .... why would we go to Orlando and go to a British Pub!

I’d seen so many great reviews, here on the boards so we decided now would be as good a time as any to try it

Well, like many of the new places we tried this trip, we were left asking ourselves the question ‘why on earth haven't we eaten here before’

The food was great, we loved the atmosphere and the CMs rocked!

We ended up having a really long lunch in here, not because the service was slow, but because we were having such a great time chatting with the CMs about where they were from and the usual British talk of the weather and football

Anyway, here is a pretty brief snapshot of what we ate



Roasted Sea Scallops - with baby spinach, tomato and olive vinaigrette $10.99

This was DHs first dish, he asked for them to skip the spinach - popeye he ain’t
Anyway he loved it and said the scallops were perfectly cooked



English Chicory and Watercress Salad - with apples, blue cheese, candied walnuts nuts and Craisins Dried cranberry vinaigrette $7.99

This was my choice and it was incredible, so fresh and light, the blue cheese was fab with the craisins - a great dish



Fish & Chips - Beer battered fresh fish served with house-made tartar sauce $18.99

DH then moved on to the British favourite (I’m allowed to use the ‘u’ as I was eating in the UK!)

His verdict 10 out of 10, perfect batter and perfect chips. All served with a sprinkling of salt and of course malt vinegar



Vegetable Stone Pie - Mushrooms, onions, spinach, cheddar cheese and a side salad $14.99

This was my choice. Our wonderful server explained that this dish was more like a quiche than a pie but having seen reiews before hand I kind of knew what to expect. This was very rich dish and I couldn’t manage to finish it all but it was delicious, so creamy and cheesy and eggy!

Desert was included with the package so why not



Sticky Toffee Pudding $5.49

DH practically inhaled this - another 10 out of 10 from him



No Sugar Added Yogurt Parfait - seasonal berries and Earl Grey granola $5.99

This was an odd dessert, seemed more like a breakfast dish than a lunch time dessert but I enjoyed it all the same

So you guessed it - Rose & Crown gets a very British thumbs up from us

Cheers

 

[GoofySon'sMom]

Thanks Vicki! A deep-fried pickle makes perfect sense. Since Emily doesn't like pickles either, I'm surprised that it didn't end up on my plate. I wish it had 'cause it sounds yummy!


I'm really hoping to see you again in October, so will definitely keep my fingers crossed. But just in case, does anyone know if I could still be prosecuted for kidnapping if I take my victim to Disney World?

I certainly wouldn't press charges!!

 

[smile4stamps]

Thanks Vicki! A deep-fried pickle makes perfect sense. Since Emily doesn't like pickles either, I'm surprised that it didn't end up on my plate. I wish it had 'cause it sounds yummy!


I'm really hoping to see you again in October, so will definitely keep my fingers crossed. But just in case, does anyone know if I could still be prosecuted for kidnapping if I take my victim to Disney World?

I LOVE deep fried pickles but Hunter does not. WE've never been to Rose & Crown for a meal.. just the pub for drinks and a snack!

I have a feeling that ANY "Victim" you kidnap would not protest too much lol.

 

[rachel09985]

Welcome back Rachel! From the live updates, it looked like you guys had a great time. I can't wait to read all the details in your joint dining report with Patty.

So now the question is, have you started planning your next trip? Are you still going to Disneyland this summer? And what about Disney World? Any chance you will be going in the fall...more specifically, in late October?

Hi Barb! We are still going to disneyland in july! I am so excited about that! We are still thinking about Disney World..most likely not in October sadly, but maybe Thanksgiving! My dad is moving from Minneapolis next week so I won't have any more family here which I am sooo sad about, but we want to get away for Thanksgiving. My vacation time is already almost out haha and i get three weeks!

 

[emmysmommy]

Brenda's Rose & Crown Lunch Review​

I have a feeling my version of the R&C review will rather look like de ja vu! I think you've seen these dishes recently. It appears some of us have similar tastes.

This was a new restaurant for Em and I since we’ve never made it beyond the pub in trips past. This was the first meal that included Barb’s Emily. We were seated on the patio overlooking WS lagoon and our friendly waitress took our drink orders. It was a beautiful day for outdoor seating – loved the view.

Barb and her lovely daughter Emily

My version of our group photo:

Some of the menu items such as Bubbles and Squeak and Mushy Peas I could only guess as to what they were. I think I needed a picture menu. Ever since I’d read Vicki’s R&C review in which she ordered the Scotch egg I was deeply curious as to this interesting English dish. Vicki satisfied my curiosity by ordering this appetizer to share. Em ordered the trio of cheeses to share as well.

Scotch Egg: Hard-boiled egg wrapped in sausage meat with mustard sauce $9.49​

This appetizer made me want to hug whomever crafted this. I completely respect the amazingness of this dish. Nothing in and of itself would really excite me but the combination of the egg, sausage, mustard sauce and breading were all perfection! This was seriously delicious. Em liked it as well.

Trio of United Kingdom Cheese – Irish Cashel Bleu with craisins and walnuts, Irish Cheddar with onion jam, and English Cotswold chive with cornichons or are they gherkins? $10.49

The cheese plate didn’t get devoured; however, that could have been because of the stellar scotch egg that was getting all of the attention. I tried all of the cheeses but being a bleu cheese lover I kept going back for more of that one. I don’t recall the little toast rounds being anything remarkable either.

English Breakfast Burger: Angus Beef Patty with Applewood-Smoked Bacon, Cheddar, Fried Egg, and House-Made HP sauce $14.99

Onto the entrees. Em went with the breakfast burger. I’m sorry but I just don’t get fried eggs on burgers. I’m certain this has more to do with the fact that I can’t stand runny egg yolk and less to do with the fact that it’s just so odd. However, apparently my hubby isn’t the only one who seems to find this completely delectable. Em enjoyed this very much and said the egg was sunny side up but cooked perfectly. Before the mystery of the deep fried pickle was solved, I had spied that little nugget on Em's plate and wondered if Barb shared some fish & chips?? I'm glad that this isn't the case of random food getting placed on her plate.

The fries were thick and delicious – I would know since I had to sneak one while the kid wasn’t looking.

I had a difficult time selecting an entrée since I had hoped to order the Mary and the Lads shrimp appetizer and a salad. However, the shrimp was no longer on the menu. I searched my inner craving to see what else sounded good and I came up empty. So I went with something that Linda had shared with me that she had ordered, the vegetable stone pie.

Vegetable Stone Pie: Seasonal vegetables, Cotswold Morney, and side salad $14.99​

My perception of this “pie” was far different than reality. I definitely had no idea what a stone pie was – in fact, I still don’t think I do. It was full of spinach (good), was very custardy (ok) and was smothered in a morney sauce (think béchamel) which was ….. uh room temp. Back to my perception… I thought this was supposed to be served hot or at least warm. It was just room temp which had me confused. I said something to the waitress and she explained that the pie is served room temperature. Ok…I just don’t think it was my thing.

I had my eye on dessert months before this trip. I’d read dining reviews that included the sticky toffee pudding and decided that anything that had the name toffee in it must be good – especially considering my favorite MK dessert is ooey gooey toffee cake.

Sticky Toffee Pudding $5.49​

The moist little bundt shaped sponge cake had toffee sauce poured over the top and was served on a puddle of custard sauce. This was British perfection! This was better than I expected and so my dilemma is now finding a way to work in Rose & Crown if for nothing else a scotch egg and toffee pudding.

Here’s a link to the recipe found on AllEars.

Sadly, this was the last meal that we shared with Vicki since she was leaving that day. We had one last group photo taken and said our farewells.

​

 

[Linda67]

Well it looks like Rose & Crown was pretty sucessful for everyone
It's funny to read rave reviews for Scotch Eggs!
They are really just a snack item in the UK, something you would take on a picnic or pop in a packed lunch
DH loves them
Brenda, sorry your entree wasn't so hot (literally) I can't for the life of me remember what temp mine was served at
DH proclaimed the sticky toffee pudding to be fantastic and he is quite the conosieur of puds

 

[jabead]

After marking off the Rose & Crown Pub from our Epcot Bar Crawl list, we had just two remaining locations to visit...La Cava de Tequila for a margarita and L'Artisan des Glaces for an ice cream martini. But before leaving the UK area, we had some shopping to do for my son.



He is a huge fan and had discovered that they sold a few Doctor Who-themed t-shirts at one of the gift shops here during our March 2013 trip. As soon as Emily and I entered the Crown and Crest gift shop (located directly across from the R & C Pub) we discovered that it was now a mecca for Doctor Who fanatics. One whole wall was completely devoted to Doctor Who merchandise. I started on one end of the wall and Emily the other and we took photos of nearly everything and sent them to my son...not thinking about the fact that it was early afternoon on a school day. So there he was sitting in class and his phone starts blowing up with photos of Doctor Who stuff...oops! Luckily his art teacher is also a fan, so didn't mind the interruption. So anyway, if you are a Doctor Who fan or need a gift for one, this is the place to go!



Our next stop was in France, where we were torn between having an ice cream martini from...





Or another kind of dessert from...





I left it for Emily to decide and she chose to have something from the bakery and then return later for our ice cream martinis. So here is what we chose...






Strawberry Tart and Raspberry Mousse Cake


Mine was the strawberry tart and while it was good, afterward I kind of wished that I had gotten the creme brulee instead. I had had the creme brulee here in March and enjoyed it more than the strawberry tart. Also, seeing the reviews of the Sticky Toffee Pudding at Rose & Crown makes me wonder if we made a mistake by skipping dessert there. {Especially since it has received Philip's, "connoisseur of puds", stamp of approval. }




Next was a stop in Japan at the Mitsukoshi store. Nearly every trip to Disney World includes a visit by my daughters to the Pick-a-Pearl counter here. Emily is determined to find a clam shell which contains one of the elusive black pearls.



But unfortunately for Emily (and my pocketbook ), her quest did not end here.




Then we had a quick stop at the American pavilion to pick up some of these ornaments...



Notice the backdrop of the new carpet in my son's bedroom? Doesn't it complement the ornament quite well?




At our next destination we purchased some treats of the edible kind...

Here we got a large bag of this...

A couple of these...




And a few marshmallow caramel rolls (my personal favorite here) ...




The relationship between the delicious caramel treats at KK and my will power is much like Superman and Kryptonite. But hey, at least I saved a whole $2.30 by remembering to ask for the Annual Passholder 10% discount.

- continued in next post -
​

 

[jabead]

After a quick look in the shops at China (where we actually didn't buy anything ), our last shopping stop was at Mexico's Plaza de los Amigos.





Here we picked up a gift for my older daughter and also Emily found a ceramic elephant to add to her collection.



Then finally it was time to visit the home of my beloved Avocado Margarita...








I already knew which margarita I would order, but here are the many La Cava margaritas that Emily had to choose from...









Despite my efforts to convince her that the Avocado Margarita did not taste like liquid avocado and that she would like it (since we have similar tastes in cocktails), she did not follow her mother's advice and instead ordered the...




Horchata Margarita - Tequila, Horchata cream Rum, Fireball Cinnamon Whiskey, agua de Horchata, topped with cinnamon powder - $13.50



And I of course had the...



Avocado Margarita - Tequila, melon liqueur, fresh avocado, agave nectar and fresh lime juice, served frozen with a hibiscus Himalayan salt rim - $14.00

I was quite happy with my choice, but I could tell from the look on Emily's face each time that she took a tiny sip of the Horchata one that she did not like hers. So when our waiter returned to see how we were doing, I told him that she didn't like her margarita and asked if she might try a different one. He said it was not a problem at all and so her selection process began all over again. While she looked at the margarita menu, I decided to order a little something from the limited food menu here...



Yes...chips and guacamole, chips and queso, or if you want something really different then you can get the Trio which also includes salsa.



So I chose the CHIPS and...



Queso con Jalapeno - Tortilla chips and warm White Cheese Dip with Jalapenos - $9.00


This was pretty tasty. The addition of the jalapeno peppers gave it some "kick" but it wasn't bad, plus I had my frozen margarita to cool me off. And it was probably a good thing that I had some food to munch on and delay the tequila from going straight to my head.




For Take II, Emily chose the...



Pomegranate Margarita - Milagro Silver Tequila, Orange Liquor, Agave Nectar, Pomegranate Liquor, Pineapple Juice, Lime Juice, served on the rocks with a hibiscus Himalayan salt rim - $14.50

Now I'm actually not 100% positive that this was the Pomegranate Margarita, so I pulled out my receipt to confirm. Lo and behold, our server charged us for only the chips & dip, my Avocado margarita, and a Dos Equis Beer??? While Emily's Pomegranate Margarita was $14.50, the beer that we paid for was only $8.00. I completely missed this at the time that I paid our bill, which leads me to believe that those chips and dip were ineffective in preventing a "tequila fog" in my brain.

Anyway, Margarita #2 was more to Emily's liking than the Horchata one but she said that she would try a different one next time. Luckily, there are plenty to choose from at La Cava.



We then realized that we were out of time and needed to make a quick exit to get back to the Wilderness Lodge for our DISmeet. Though we were in a hurry to leave, that didn't stop Emily from snapping a hundred photos with her phone on the way out of Epcot. Here are just a few of those...










Oh, and you may have noticed that we didn't ever make it back to France for those ice cream martinis...but there is always tomorrow. ​

 

[wilma-bride]

I'm still trying to catch up on everything I've missed in my short week away but just wanted to post a quick few replies. I'm only up to page 117 though so there may be more to come.

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.

I'm ba-ack

Right, here we go …… drum roll please



Ooey Gooey Toffee Cake
Vanilla Cake with a Gooey Toffee Filling, Caramel Sauce, and Vanilla Ice Cream

Yay, I finally got to try this last week and it was so worth the wait. I am definitely going back in October

Then today Patty, Emme, Rachel and Jessica were at Epcot and Patty sent us this update.


She said, "At 9:30 a.m. there is a 5 hour wait for Anna and Elsa."


​

I was in that line too - for all of about 10 minutes. That was the day of my daughter's 21st Birthday and when the CM told us it would be a four and a half hour wait, I turned to her and said "Is this really what you want to spend half of your big day doing?" We agreed that we would try again another day and, I'm happy to report, were able to see Anna and Elsa just a couple of days later with a mere 90 minute wait Those lines are complete madness, it will be much better once they've moved to the Magic Kingdom.​

 

[emmebear]

Did they give you any problem ordering off the kids menu. I'd love to do the same, as I plan on getting a P&B shake.

I don't recall seeing this on the kids menu. I asked for a smaller portion and she said I. An get all white or dark meat but told her that's still too much food and then she mentions the kid portion of the fried chicken. It was the perfect size & I enjoyed it...although my chickens were a dad on the anorexic side as it was a pretty small drumstick and thigh.

 

[smile4stamps]

I actually had the Horchata Margarita last year on my solo trip. I really liked it but then I am a rum and a Horchata fan!

 

[smiths02]

I must remember to budget money for Doctor Who merchandise on our next trip. Great tip!

 

[HadesTX]

My daughter was so disappointed there was no Doctor Who merchandise the last time we went. She is a huge fan, too.

 

[buzz1121]

After being afraid that my hungry kids would break down and start eating a gingerbread structure, I thought it was probably time to get them a little lunch.

On the fourth day of our Christmas trip, our family chose to eat...Lunch at Beach Club Marketplace.

We had a very heavy dinner ahead of us at Ohana, so we decided to split two cheese flatbreads between the five of us, plus we had individual dessert choices in mind.




This pizza was surprisingly very good. I believe DH and DS split one pizza and me and the girls split the other pizza. We had considered a few of the desserts in the grab and go section of BC Marketplace, hello, I'm thinking of you peanut butter cupcake, but having not had an opportunity to visit Boardwalk Bakery yet, we decided to get our dessert from there.

However, before we leave the BC, there is one more occurrence that I just have to relay. The kids and I were standing outside of the Marketplace looking out some of the windows when a tall man in sunglasses and a strong scent of cologne came around the corner escorted by a cast member. Little DD was, at that point, just starting to get her walking legs about her and she was glad to be able to totter around a little. The man stopped for a minute, looked at her, and said to me "She'll be running before you know it."

Instantly I recognized his voice and I realized that President David Palmer from 24/the AllState guy/Dennis Haysbert was talking to me about the baby. I didn't out him, but just said that he was right and he walked on. He caused quite the stir in the BC lobby and made a pretty quick exit. I thought it was pretty neat that he took the time and risk to speak about little DD. I believe I even texted Barb about the encounter.

The crazy part is that on our prior Christmas trip back in 2011, we almost literally ran into Neil Patrick Harris getting onto Soarin. He too was trying to go incognito and to out my age I immediately thought, not of Barney on "How I Met Your Mother", but of Doogie Howser!! Both of the gentlemen were in WDW as narrators for the Candlelight Processional.

Back to the food!

At Boardwalk Bakery, DS and DD selected a sugar cookie with sprinkles.




Despite having to ward off the pretty aggressive seagulls, the kids enjoyed their cookies.


DH chose a square of carrot cake.




He thought this was pretty good.


Like Barb, I had to choose the Seasonal Peppermint Cupcake.




I think Barb's had a darker pink hue to it. I wish I had taken a photo of the cupcake interior. There was a filling of what tasted almost like a mint cheesecake if I remember correctly. It tasted pretty good, but it was so large I could only eat half.

We did eat at Ohana for dinner. The waiting area was a madhouse and since this dining option has been reviewed extensively, I did not take any pictures. Everything tasted fine and we had a nice meal.

What I absolutely hated though, was that I had to miss an invite to the gathering of my DIS friends at a location that has long been on my bucket list and sadly, still remains there. I am hoping to rectify that in the near future!




.

 

[jabead]

Once Emily and I returned to the Wilderness Lodge, it was time to meet up with Brenda, Em, Linda & Philip at the...

My first and only previous experience at the Territory Lounge was during my March 2013 trip. My family stopped by the lounge for drinks and an appetizer before having dinner at Artist Point. The highlight of that inaugural visit to the lounge was our appetizer...

Sharp Cheddar-Beer Fondue served with bread cubes (pretzel and house-made sourdough), Washington state apples, and dried figs for dipping - $11.00


This reminded us of Le Cellier's Cheddar Cheese Soup, especially when you dipped the pretzel bread into it...which was my favorite combination.




So when we decided to meet at the Territory Lounge, I was happy that I was going to be able to have this again.


When Emily and I arrived, the others were already seated at a corner table. I had also invited DeeDee and Sue (marshallsmommy), who were both staying at the Wilderness Lodge. Unfortunately neither was able to join us, as DeeDee's family had dinner plans at 'Ohana (an ADR that is not easily rescheduled) and Sue had a tired little boy who needed his mommy.


Here is the menu which was presented to us...




I noticed several changes had been made to the menu since when we were here in March. First change was that the fondue was now made with white wine (Pinot Grigio) instead of beer. Next was that Artist Point's signature portobello mushroom soup had been added to the lounge menu, replacing the French onion soup that seemed somewhat out of place on their March menu. Then the house-made potato chips had been replaced by two items, truffle fries and nachos. Slight changes had also been made to both the chicken appetizer and the flatbread. In March, there were chicken wings served with sweet Thai chili sauce and wild mushroom & bleu cheese flatbread. Now appearing on the menu were crispy chicken served with sweet and sour chili sauce and BLT flatbread. And finally, the Drunken' doughnuts that had once appeared on the TL menu were now gone and not replaced by another dessert-type choice...leaving only the Artist Point cobbler on the menu to satisfy your sweet tooth.


Moving on now to our choices...


For our appetizer, we were all in agreement and ordered two pots of the fondue for the 6 of us to share.



Those of us who had had this before (Brenda, Em and me) immediately noticed that the pretzel bread was missing. When asked about it, our server told us that it is no longer served with the fondue. I suspect that this change may have coincided with the change from beer to white wine in the fondue.

So Old Fondue vs. New Fondue...what was my verdict? Sadly, I would have to say that I enjoyed the old version better. This came as a bit of a surprise to me, since I generally do not like or drink beer and would much prefer white wine. However, there is something about the combination of sharp cheddar cheese and beer that works perfectly and when you throw in some pretzel bread to the mix...well, it's a match made in heaven!

Though I was disappointed by the changes that they made to the fondue, I am very curious to hear Brenda's thoughts, as she too had the old version on her last visit to the lounge.



Ok, moving on to another topic now...Cocktails!


After perusing what appeared to be the standard Disney cocktail menu, I went with a...



Bahama Mama

What a surprise, I chose another sweet, fruity cocktail. Yes, I'm boring and quite predictable, but "I know what I like and I like what I know." Further evidence of my predictableness is that when I went back to read my review from our first visit to the lounge today, I found that I chose the exact same drink.


Emily surprised me a little though and ordered a dessert cocktail...



Chocolate Martini





Emily is a chocolate lover so I guess I understand why this caught her eye on the menu. I think she liked this, but I'd be surprised if she ordered it again.


After our wonderful dinner at California Grill on Sunday evening, I had decided that I wanted to return there with Emily. Since she was only there for three nights, tonight was the only time it could be fit into our jam-packed schedule. So we soon had to say our good-byes, and with Linda and Philip it was sadly for the last time.



However, I look forward to seeing them again in October!
​

​

 

[emmysmommy]

Brenda's Territory Lounge Review​

In lieu of formal dinner plans this night we opted to revisit Territory Lounge at Wilderness Lodge. It was a great casual, no-plans option last trip. And it didn’t hurt that the fondue was one of the reasons we were looking forward to visiting this place.

A couple WL photos on our way to the lounge:

We were meeting Linda & Philip, Barb and her daughter Emily. Em and I arrived a little early and were seated at a table that should accommodate our party size.

I ordered a Bloody Mary. Notice the cute Wilderness Lodge stirrer thingy with the speared olives?

The ladies arrived and we decided to share the fondue appetizer.

Oregon Pinot Grigio Fondue: Artisan breads and fruits of the season $11

As Barb noted, there was a distinct change in the fondue from our August trip wherein we fell in love with this stuff!

At first glance I noticed that the wonderful pretzel bread was no longer served as a dipping accompaniment. Bummer! They still had the apples, figs, and sourdough bread cubes. The significant change of pinot grigio versus the sharp-cheddar beer version wasn't a great one in my opinion. I much preferred the prior one that reminded me of the soup at Le Cellier. Of course the change didn't stop me from indulging in more than my share!

The apples were my favorite dippable with the fondue. I loved the sweet with the savory. For variety I think they could have added in more figs and less ‘artisan’ bread cubes.

One of the lovely ornaments we saw in Barb's Epcot tour update was freshly boxed and delivered as a beautiful reminder of this special trip. Thanks Barb!

Group Photo:

Barb and Emily:

Linda and Philip:

This was a perfectly lovely evening! A must repeat for future visits even if the fondue wasn't the perfect version from last August.
​

 

[emmysmommy]

DeeDee: That was so cool that your little one caught Dennis Haysbert's attention! You seem to be a celebrity magnet at WDW!