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

[Linda67]

OK, so we are stepping back in time, I’m just hopping in here with a brief review of our BoG Dinner from Monday 2nd of December to follow on from Barb's lunch review

It’s going to be brief as I took hardly any photos!

We made no specific requests upon check in and when our buzzer went off, we were handed our “Lumiere” candelabra and led through to the main ballroom (note: I thought this was such as cute touch and loved carrying it, childish I know )

First thing to say and it’s been well documented, the restaurant itself is beautiful and the theming is perfect. The dining rooms looked particularly stunning with the Christmas décor and the Christmas Tree next to the ‘snow’ filled windows

On a slight negative, we found the ballroom to be really loud.

With a marble floor, every dropped, knife, fork and spoon (and there seemed to be A LOT of those!) echoed like crazy

Right onto the food (again, sorry no pictures)

I started with the Garden Salad with Champagne Vinaigrette $5.49, this was OK but nothing special, I would have liked a little blue cheese or something in there

DH had the French Onion Soup, topped with a Crouton and Gruyère Cheese $7.49 – he wasn’t really impressed with this, he said it was hotter than the surface of the sun with very little flavour

Onto entrees

I ordered the vegetarian dish - Layered Ratatouille, Oven-baked Zucchini, Eggplant, Mushrooms, Tomatoes, and Caramelized Onions sliced and layered on Quinoa served with a Bell Pepper Sauce - $17.49

I thought this sounded delicious but sadly it was not

It reminded me of the lunch I was served on the flight over from the UK!.

It just tasted like a bad TV dinner; I gave up half way through!

DH ordered the Grilled Strip Steak with Garlic-Herb Butter and Pommes Frites $32.99.

His verdict …… “Salty”

He said it was perfectly cooked and a good cut of meat but was really over seasoned for his taste.

OK, we aren’t doing very well are we!

Could we improve our strike rate with dessert?

I asked our server to double check that the cupcakes and cream puffs were OK for vegetarians as there are so many Disney desserts contain gelatine at the moment

She clearly thought that I was insane but headed off to ask anyway.

Upon her return she informed me that only one cupcake didn’t have any gelatine and that was the Lemon Meringue Cupcake $4.19.

Yay we have a winner, this was delicious, very light and fresh tasting and not over sweet

DH chose the Strawberry Cream Cheese Cupcake $4.19 which he really enjoyed so desserts were the clear winners in this meal

Our server then presented us with a plate of the grey stuff which she advised also contained gelatine so I didn’t try it. DH had a spoonful but wasn’t impressesd



Oh, I should add that I enjoyed my first alcoholic beverage in MK (I know this divides opinion!), a glass of Lasseter Family Winery Paysage, and it was delicious

I wouldn’t rush back for dinner at BoG any time soon but would love to give lunch a try sometime. We did have a fun evening and loved the atsmosphere but the food left a lot to be desired

After a quick snoop around the other rooms in the now fairly empty restaurant, we went to discuss seasoning levels with the boss

 

[smile4stamps]

Thank you Barb and Linda for emphasizing my decision NOT to try for a BOG meal. Too much hoopla for so/so food!!

 

[Linda67]

Thank you Barb and Linda for emphasizing my decision NOT to try for a BOG meal. Too much hoopla for so/so food!!

Maybe we hit an off night Paula but the food was average at best. It just seemed kind of lazy if you know what I mean

 

[smile4stamps]

Maybe we hit an off night Paula but the food was average at best. It just seemed kind of lazy if you know what I mean

I don't think it was an off-night Linda. Every person I've talked to said the restaurant is more about the Atmosphere than the actual food... and well.. we are ALL ABOUT THE FOOD!

 

[emmysmommy]

Brenda's Plaza Restaurant Lunch Review​

Em and I had said farewell after breakfast to Barb and her Emily and while we were in the same park, our dining plans took us in a different trajectory. While Barb was enjoying that lovely french onion soup at BoG, Em and I decided to eat lunch at Plaza Restaurant. We usually reserve Plaza Restaurant for our last lunch of our trips. However, since we had booked an early return flight this trip we decided to move this lunch to the last day that we would be in MK at the noon hour.

This visit to Plaza Restaurant included some holiday décor:

Menu Photos – the simplest of menus, but the best food!

I was a bit surprised that Em decided to order a strawberry shake to have with her meal. Oh no! This signaled no banana split (hold the pineapple sauce) for dessert. I suppose it is good that we expended our horizons and both tried something new this meal. But really... no banana split?

Strawberry Shake $4.99

We were in a sandwich mood today so we strayed from the fabulous Plaza Restaurant burgers that we love. Em chose the turkey sandwich with fries. I had a craving for grilled cheese so I ordered a kids grilled cheese sandwich with fries. I also wanted to try the tomato bisque soup for which I’d read great reviews. Apparently, there is a kid’s meal version of the grilled cheese and soup since my receipt shows a KM soup and KM grilled cheese. I have to say for $9 this was the best bargain for a TS meal that I’d seen since our $4.49 kid’s chicken dinner at 50’s PT Café. Add on the 20% Tables in Wonderland discount and lunch was downright cheap!

Turkey Sandwich: Smoked Turkey, Bacon, Lettuce, Tomato, and Mayo on toasted grain bread $12.49

Em was glad that she tried something new since the turkey sandwich was delicious. The toasted multi-grain bread was perfect for the sandwich. She only ate ½ so we really could have split something – just not the fries, they were all mine!

Kid’s Grilled Cheese with fries $6.84

Kid’s Tomato Bisque Soup $2.19

Grilled cheese and tomato soup is a wonderful Sunday evening meal from my childhood so straying from the burger ended up being not only a good thing since it completely satisfied my craving but was a sentimental favorite of the trip.

The croutons in the tomato soup were a nice touch as it added some crunch to the wonderfully creamy texture. The soup was very savory and not bland from a can tasting. As for the grilled cheese, I ate the soft gooey, cheesy inside and left the crust – just like a kid. The best part of this meal is that it was served with those wonderful Plaza Restaurant fries!

Dessert wasn’t even considered since we had no desire for a sugar coma at that point.

Using our Tables in Wonderland card we saved $5.90. Plaza Restaurant continues to be a MK favorite. We (by “we” I mean my husband and I) plan to return in May for lunch.

​

 

[smile4stamps]

Those French Fries look so yummy!! The strawberry shake looks really good too!!

Looking at the picture of your menu I'm now torn.. I was originally thinking the Philly Cheese steak... but now that strawberry salad sounds delicious!

I'm sad we don't have the Plaza overlapping but am happy we both get to fit it in!

 

[My2Qtz0205]

I had the vegetarian sandwich at Plaza on our trip last August. That was delicious! It definitely hit the spot.

 

[buzz1121]

Great reviews Barb and Brenda!

Paula, I have had the strawberry salad at the Plaza. It is really good! The burgers are good too, as is the chicken sandwich. I don't think you can go wrong with much there.

 

[jabead]

After our lunch at Be our Guest, Emily and I headed back to the Wilderness Lodge to meet up with her friend that was joining us for the remainder of our trip. Emily went to school in Florence, Italy last summer and her friend (who is from Florida) was one of her roommates there. After a quick photo of the two of them in front of the beautiful WL tree, we were off to the bus stop to catch a bus to Epcot for our second lunch ADR in Japan.




Once at the bus stop, we waited...and waited...and WAITED for a bus to either Epcot or even DHS where we could either walk or take a boat to Epcot. I must say here, that on this trip (which included stays at three different resorts) I experienced the worst ever bus service. I have never before been forced to take so many taxis...it was quite frustrating! Our ADR time was quickly approaching so I finally gave up and called a taxi to take us to the Boardwalk. (I did however first make sure that I had enough cash on me, as I will never again surrender my credit card to a taxi driver ). From the Boardwalk, we walked at a fast pace to Epcot's International Gateway entrance and then on to Japan for our Candlelight Processional Package lunch at...




Now as you may recall, I had just made this reservation at the Boardwalk's Guest Services desk two days prior. The CM first told me there was no CP Package availability on Thursday at either of my DD's two choices, Teppan Edo or Nine Dragons, but then refreshed her screen and magically both restaurants became available. Running late for our reservation I arrived at the check-in desk huffing and puffing after quickly climbing up the stairs of the Mitsukoshi building. Between gasps for air, I told the nice Japanese girl my name and ADR time. She looked on her screen, asked me to repeat my name and spell it out and then looked again but still couldn't find our reservation. I then remembered that the Boardwalk CM had given me an ADR slip that I had stuffed into my purse and was relieved to find that it was still there. I gave her the slip and after typing in the reservation number she discovered that the ADR was actually for Tuesday (just a few hours after I had made the reservation with the CM). So obviously I had missed the reservation and my credit card had been charged for the full amount of the lunch package x 3 people or nearly $200! Though there was nothing they could do to correct that error (I would have to go to Epcot's Guest Services for that), the very sweet girl took pity on me and spoke to her manager about fitting us in for the CP lunch. He gave the ok and we were promptly seated with a nice, friendly couple and a family of 3 that kept to themselves.

In case you have never been to Teppan Edo, you are seated with other guests at tables which hold 8 people.






We were then given this menu from which to choose an appetizer, entree, and dessert that are included with the CP package...





We were also each given a warm, wet cloth to wash our hands...




Next was a round of cocktails...



Tokyo Sunset - Coconut rum, creme de banana, peach schnapps and pineapple juice - $9.00





Then all three of us chose the Wafu Ribs for our appetizer. These were brought out partially cooked and then finished on the grill...






Wafu Ribs - Sake, Soy Sauce, Ginger-braised Pork Ribs - $9.95

We all enjoyed these. They were very meaty and the sauce was tasty.


Anyone who has been to a teppan restaurant knows what's coming next after this...





Yep, onion volcano...





But since this is Disney World, it was made into a Mickey volcano...





Then it was time to grill the meats and shrimp...






The girls both ordered the same thing for their entree...



Steak & Chicken served with seasonal vegetables (mushrooms, zucchini, and onion), udon noodles, and sukiyaki beef rice - $29.95




While I had...






Steak & Shrimp - $30.95

Both of these entrees were very good...no complaints whatsoever.


And that just leaves dessert, which the choices are pretty limited here. We all three chose the...



Chocolate Ginger Cake - $6.95

This is actually pretty good.


I feel that I can always count on Teppan Edo for a great meal. Once again they did not let me down. Writing this review makes me wish that I was able to have lunch here during my upcoming trip. But of course, that would mean giving up something else. Hmmm...such a conundrum.


Right after our lunch I got in the already forming line for the Candlelight Processional package people. Meanwhile the girls had a little "selfie fun" around World Showcase. The first photo is from Morocco...





And this one was taken in Germany...





But does anyone know where this might have been taken?





Anyway, when the line started moving into the theater I called the girls back and we found some great seats with a perfect view of the stage...well, until the lady sitting in front of us decided to put on her huge hat! Thankfully, not long after the show began the sun went down and she removed it.

This was my second time seeing the show, but it was just as wonderful the second time around.





The guest narrator this time was none other than DeeDee's friend, Dennis Haysbert..."the Allstate Guy"...





I would have to say that I enjoyed Whoopi Goldberg's narration a little more because of her "style" but Mr. Haysbert did a great job. And of course, I just love his deep voice. It reminds me of Morgan Freeman's.
​

 

[wilma-bride]

But does anyone know where this might have been taken?



​

UK I have actually seen those beer goggles on the little cart just before you get to the Rose and Crown (coming from Canada). There is a joke here in the UK about beer goggles, I don't know if 'beer goggles' is one of those universal jokes or if it's just a UK saying, but we always like to try those on and make lame jokes about looking different with the beer goggles on

Barb, I am definitely decided that I want to try Teppan Edo now. I have been back and forth but now you've convinced me. Have to say, I am not rapt at the idea of sharing a table with strangers (after a bad experience with that on a Disney cruise once) but maybe in October, since there will be 7 in our party (and even 9 at one point)

 

[Couchy]

Wanna hear something embarrassing..... I originally posted this on the wrong thread I had taken cold medication last night and was not thinking straight> learned my lesson, No dining reports while on cold meds!!!!


Anyway.....


Originally I thought I went to the Tangerine cafe in Morocco for lunch on this day but after careful review I found I went to a place I love -Kringla Bakeri Og Kafe Well I guess I should say I lover the :

Ham and Apple Sandwich - with Jarlsberg and Muenster cheese


I really enjoyed the way the apples add a different texture and cut the richness of this sandwich. It is one of my favorites. It made for a perfect lunch and left me plenty of opportunity to eat some snacks around the world. Sadly it appears I did not take pics of the snacks... but I remember getting a piece of dark chocolate salt candy....Ahhh, a little slice of heaven. So delicious

For dinner we had the CP package at Tokyo Dining. For our appetizers DH had Tempura Chicken


DH really enjoyed this. He said it was nice and light, not heavy or greasy. I tried a bite and agreed.

I went with Edamame


I love Edamame, so this really hit the spot.

Sadly I forgot to take pics of the entrees. I had the :
Matsu Highlight Item - 2 tuna, 2 salmon, 2 shrimp, 2 spicy roll, yellow-tail, egg, eel with 4 pieces of Rainbow Roll

I remember it was just OK, not as fresh tasting as I would like. It was definitely edible, but I have had much better

Dh had :Bento Box - Sliced Sirloin, Sashimi, California Roll and Tempura. Includes seasonal vegetables and Sukiyaki beef rice
He seemed to enjoy this dish but it did not blow him away

On to dessert

I had the Green Tea Cheescake and I loved every minute of it. It was wonderful

DH had

Chocolate Ginger cake and he still raves about how good it was...

All in all Tokyo Dining was good but not great. Would we go back?.. probably not because there are just too many good places to eat instead

 

[Smiling Cheshire Cat]

Just wanted to let you guys know I'm still reading along enjoying the pictures and reviews of your meals. Beth's sandwich from Kringla looks fantastic.

 

[buzz1121]

I was really looking forward to heading back to Epcot for our dinner and another opportunity to view Illuminations with the special holiday tag.

As part of his school curriculum DS has had a particular foreign language as part of his studies for the past two years. In fact, his class just hosted a hotly contested crepe race just two weeks ago.

And with that huge clue.....

On the fifth day of our Christmas trip, our family chose to eat...Dinner at Les Chefs de France.


When we arrived we had about a ten minute wait to be seated. The host and hostess were very gracious and they had a nice,short beginner conversation with DS while we waited.

On our anniversary trip, DH and I were lucky to be seated outside of the main dining area where I find seating to be a little less crowded. This time our luck ran out and we were seated two tables away from the entrance. We were literally thisclose to the next table, however, it was a couple who were extremely nice and we chatted with them throughout our meal.

I don't have a picture of it, but the bread service at Chefs is comprised of a baguette. It is brought to the table very warm and it is absolutely delicious. My only suggestion with the bread service is that I wish it came with a softened butter instead of the ice cold butter packets which are so difficult to spread easily.

For his dinner DS chose chicken strips. This kid's option usually is served with pasta, however DS asked that french fries be substituted. This was no problem.





DD went with chicken strips as well, though she kept the pasta as her side.




I was curious as to how the strips would taste. With such a big portion, DD gave me a bite and I have to say I thought the strips were very good. They were so large that 5 year old DD easily shared her meal with her little sister and she still had plenty to eat.


DH chose the beef tenderloin with peppercorn sauce, gratin potatoes, and green beans.



While his steak tasted fine, it was a poor cut as it was grainy and little "ligamenty" as well. He enjoyed what he was able to eat and he found the potato and green beans to be as good as always.

I also had the beef tenderloin with peppercorn sauce, gratin potatoes, and I subbed broccoli for the green beans.




My cut of steak was the polar opposite of DH's. My steak was very tender with no hidden obstacles. The potatoes were great and the broccoli was perfectly steamed.

We would come back to dinner at Chefs though I do think I will request seating in the solarium portion on our next venture here just to feel a little table separation.

With our meal finished, we headed out to watch Illuminations.

In my family's next review, it's lunch with newly minted underage drivers!!

 

[emmysmommy]

Brenda's Teppan Edo Candlelight Processional dinner​

Em and I had been in Epcot and had the opportunity to meet up with Beth briefly when she arrived back in WDW with her DH Wil. I had the park schedule a little confused so when I told Beth I'd meet up with her at DHS I had no clue that the park was closing earlier than I thought. (And I have no excuse of being on cold meds! ) Poor Beth came back over to Epcot and we spent a little time together before our 5pm dinner ADR at Teppan Edo.

So... onto the actual dining portion of this little update. Em and I booked Teppan Edo as part of the Candlelight Processional dinner package. We had enjoyed the earlier version with Barb where Whoopi Goldberg was the narrator. Since Teppan Edo is an Epcot favorite, we decided to combine our love of TE with a reprisal of the wonderful CP experience.

We wanted the later CP show, which was 8pm so that meant dinner was at 5pm. The CP meal is like being on the deluxe dining plan as it includes an appetizer, entrée, dessert and a beverage.

We were escorted to the room where our dining party was already seated at the teppan table. This was a fun and welcoming group of people so we had a great experience interacting with them and the teppan chef, Tomo.

Menu:

Drink and appetizer orders were taken right away…. Em chose the edamame that she has enjoyed in the past and I went with the tempura shrimp and veggies. And by tempura shrimp we mean “a single” tempura shrimp. Portion control wasn’t going to be an issue for the appetizers!

Tempura

Edamame

Em chose green tea for her beverage. My choice was less exciting, Diet Coke.
For our entrees, we chose the same thing, steak and shrimp. I usually order chicken and shrimp but since we were dining on the CP package I decided to try something new since it was all one price. It was a great choice.

Green Tea

And then the cooking show began…..
The 3 dipping sauces were ladled. Since the chef was chatting with someone in the group I didn’t feel it appropriate to interrupt and tell him don’t bother giving me the “ranch.” I figured I’d just avoid that option altogether!

The cooking show…

The steamed rice was delivered and distracted me from the cooking for just a moment. This was a beef version apparently. It was very good.

Back to the cooking...

The beef was perfectly cooked to my preference and the shrimp were lovely as always. As much as I’m OCD about things I wait for all the food to be cooked before I start eating. I want to eat a little of everything and not just eat the noodles and then only the meat. No worries because I don’t ever end up being far behind everyone else despite the delay.

Perfectly cooked filet

Em chose green tea ice-cream for her dessert. I don’t find anything to my liking on the menu so I skipped dessert. Perhaps if I'd have actually seen the green tea cheesecake that Beth ordered at Tokyo Dining I would have given that a try. I asked Em if she wanted me to order the other dessert that she likes, chocolate ginger cake, and have it boxed to go but she said nooooo, she wasn't interested in any more food! Wise choice.

Mother/Daughter photo:

We were given our Candlelight processional stickers for the 8pm show with Dennis Haysbert. At this point we knew that we would not be attending the show since it was pretty cold out (ok, cold for us!) and we were on the pooped side. We decided to give our tickets to someone in the standby line. However, the only problem with that was there wasn’t much of a line for standby so we had to hang out at the entrance to the line until a party size of 2 people happened along. We ended up asking a young couple if they were interested in seeing the 8pm show and if so they could have our tickets. It felt a little creepy to be pawning off the tickets to strangers who were a little suspicious of our motive. Hey, we’re cold and tired.

Teppan Edo continues to be a must do for us! I'm looking forward to returning soon... very soon ...as in 35 days kinda soon!

​

 

[vettegirl]

As always great review of TE Brenda. I would really love to try it one of these days, just need to convince my husband. Too bad it was so cold for the CP.

 

[smile4stamps]

DeeDee. The congested factor is actually one of the things we don't care for at Chefs. When we went to the Parisian Breakfast as part of F&W it was ridiculously cramped in there!

Very nice of you Brenda to give your CP tickets away! I didn't realize that is had gotten cold after we left! It was SO Warm the week we were there! I'm excited to try Teppan Edo! Do you know if they let you share entrees?

 

[Linda67]

Thursday 12th December

So this is going to be a pretty brief review as yet again it’s pretty much photo free

We were both excited to dine at California Grill following the great feedback from the other ladies who had dined there earlier in the week

Having only eaten at CG one time previously, where we had encountered a few service issues, the positive reaction from the rest of the group was great to hear and in fact influenced our menu choices (more of that later)

We arrived at the Contemporary a little early as it was the final deluxe resort we had left to check out the Christmas decor

Once we had checked in and headed up in the elevator, we had a short time to wait for our table so I took the opportunity to order a cocktail that I’d had my eye on for a while



The Sake Martini - Karen “Coy” Sake, Licor 43, and Cruzan Mango Rum with a splash of Orange and Pineapple Juices

Honesty I would go back to CG just for this. It really was that good.

Not too sweet and a very delicate flavor. 10 out of 10

After only a couple of sips of my delicious cocktail, our buzzer sounded and we were led to a great little window able towards the back of the restaurant

Service tonight was excellent and not at all rushed (as it was on our previous visit)

Our server was knowledgeable and personable and more than happy to make recommendations

Just let me take a moment to mention the re-furbishment of CG.

We loved it, the colors and feel of the restaurant are just the right mix of modern and retro (if that makes sense ) I want the light fixtures at home

So what did we actually order ….

To start I had the Heirloom Apple and Kale Salad - crisp pink apples, marcona almonds, cranberry, feta, cider vinaigrette, which was recommended to me by Vicki and Em.

They made the perfect recommendation it was delicious

DH ordered decided to start with sushi and chose the California Combination Roll - jumbo lump crab with avocado and cucumber and shrimp tempura

He adored it, and finished every last bite

For my entree, I decided to try the sushi as I had loved it on our last visit and chose the Yuzu Marinated Sashimi - Yellowfin Tuna, Salmon, Hamachi, Snapper, Wasabi Oil. This was heaven on a plate, so very fresh and light

DH ordered the Oak-fired Filet of Beef - Heirloom Tomato Risotto, Marinated Baby Vine Tomatoes, Petite Basil, Tomato Butter

This was another winning dish and the beef was perfectly cooked. His only regret was that he didn’t order a green vegetable as as side

It was nearly firework time when we finished our entrees so we stepped outside before ordering dessert.

As the others have said, the view of Holiday Wishes was spectacular and I’m glad we ate here on a party night in order to see it. The new audio system out on the balcony is fantastic by the way and as we we even got a great view of Illuminations from out there

I wasn’t feeling like a dessert but DH ordered the Warm Homemade Fritters - Banana-stuffed, Cinnamon-dusted Fritters with Toasted Caramel Marshmallows complemented with a Trio of Dipping Sauces. He loved the sound of this but sadly didn’t really enjoy it as much as he thought he would. He thought the fritters were slightly over-cooked and a little dry

Overall we had a wonderful evening at CG and would certainly go again. I’d be more than happy to sit in the lounge with a Sake Martini and some Sushi

 

[vettegirl]

Lovely review of the CG. I have made a note to try the sake martini, sounds just perfect!

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

 

[Couchy]

Just wanted to let you guys know I'm still reading along enjoying the pictures and reviews of your meals. Beth's sandwich from Kringla looks fantastic.

It is delicious.... must try



Linda .... your CA Grill looks awesome...

 

[jabead]

After the Candlelight Processional Show, it was time for me to take the long hike from the American Gardens Theater to Guest Services at the front of the park to try and get my money back for the CP package that I had been wrongly booked for on Tuesday. This turned out to be a very long process which involved standing in line for my turn to be helped, explaining the Boardwalk CM's mistake multiple times, having to present and have copies made of my ADR slip and receipts from our lunch at Teppan Edo, and then completing some paperwork for the refund. But since this was a nearly $200 error, I stuck it out to the end. Sadly I missed out on the fun that Emily and her friend had though, first in World Showcase...












And then they rode Test Track, before test "driving" some new cars...






Thankfully I was able to catch up with them at Soarin', which despite the fact that it is my favorite Disney World ride, I hadn't yet been on it this trip. Soarin' is almost always my first ride of every trip but on this trip it ended up being my final ride.


But then I had one more thing to attend to at Epcot before we found a spot to view Illuminations, and that was to complete our Epcot bar crawl at...






Yes, having an ice cream martini was the final item on our group's Epcot Bar Crawl list from Monday, and though it took me three more days to finally do it...




Coupe Arrosee (name per my receipt) - Pineapple Sorbet, Coconut White Chocolate Ice Cream, and Rum - $11.50


I had been wanting to try this "pina colada-like combination ever since DonaldDoleWhip reported on this for the live thread. Since I love pina coladas I thought this would be perfect for me, but sadly I was a little disappointed with it. Now mind you, as Brenda said in her Teppan Edo review, it was freezing outside, so that might have had something to do with the fact that I didn't find this frozen ice cream martini particularly enjoyable. I should probably give it another try when it's warm outside and I'm in more of a "tropical" mood.



The girls each had a scoop of ice cream in a cup, but it seems that we failed to take a photo. Then it was off to the bridge between France and the UK where I held our spot for Illuminations while the girls went into the UK shops to get warm.







After watching the show from the bridge (hmm...I wonder where DeeDee watched it from that night, was she in the vicinity? ), it was a fast and easy exit from the park through the International Gateway and then a short walk to the Yacht Club for our late dinner at the...







Despite the fact that I had stayed at the Yacht Club for three nights at the beginning of my trip, I seemed to have overlooked a few of their holiday decorations in the lobby, like the train...





And this beautiful wreath...




Of all the Disney resorts which I visited, IMO the Yacht Club came in a very close third for the most beautiful holiday decor, with the Wilderness Lodge being first and the Grand Floridian second.




Ok, back to the Crew's Cup Lounge, where we quickly found a table and looked over the menu we were presented. Unfortunately, Emily took all of the photos here and I completely forgot to have her take one of the menu. My apologies.



Now there were three reasons why I chose to visit the Crew's Cup Lounge that night. The first of these was that I wanted Emily to taste their special Holiday Cocktail...




Santa's Little Helper - Bailey’s, Butterscotch Schnapps, and Goldschlager (a cinnamon schnapps liqueur)


{Emily forgot to take a photo of this, so this photo is actually my SLH #2 from earlier in my trip.}


I really thought she would like this, as we have much the same tastes when it comes to cocktails. However, she didn't really like it so I ended up having my third Santa's Little Helper of the trip...not that I minded one bit.




Now on to the food. We each chose an appetizer, with Emily going with the...



House-cut Truffle Fries sprinkled with Shredded Parmesan and served with Roasted Shallot Mayonnaise - $5.49


Her friend ordered the Buffalo Chicken Strips ($8.99), but Emily seems to have failed me again and didn't take a photo. Kids...whatcha gonna do?


We were all pretty tired, so there was not much discussion about our food but they seemed to enjoy it.




I know that I loved my appetizer choice...



Buttermilk-fried Rock Shrimp with Chipotle Remoulade, Citrus Cream and served with ??? - $12.99


{All of the online menus say that this is served with chilled cucumber salad but this looks more like a slaw of some sort. }


Though I can't recall if I even tasted the salad/slaw, I can tell you that I ate as much of those tasty shrimp as I possibly could before slipping into a food coma.


Trying this shrimp appetizer (that I had admired on the live thread reviews) was the second reason that I chose the Crew's Cup. The third was that I thought it would be a convenient location to meet up with Beth...




Sadly this was the last time I saw her on this trip, but the good news is that I will see her (and also get to meet her DH, Wil) in just about 4 weeks.​