Our "Totally Tinsel" Christmas vacation! UPDATES Page 14 - two!!

[brookelizabeth]

Caroline is just precious! What a sweetie! Share all the pics you want of her!

Congratulations on the cruise!!!! That sounds AWESOME! I hope a cruise lays in our not-so-distant future as well if we don't make it on the one we have planned for December. I look forward to your TR on that trip, the Aquaduck is gonna rock!

Your crowd pictures at AK are very familiar to our AK day. Insanity!

 

[DWGal210]

I think I am all caught up...

Caroline is so cute!

Love the Mickey Necklace.

I can't wait to try Jungle Juice in May...yum!

Thumbs up for no wait on EE. Glad you got to ride it a bunch of times.

Thumbs down for 120 min waits at Epcot...... and 45 mins for lunch....bummer!

Great updates and pictures!

Thanks! The crowds at Epcot were something else, but we got out of there pretty quick.

Oh my goodness!! Caroline is as precious as ever!! I LOVE her beautiful smile!!

Thank you! We think she is pretty darn special!

Caroline is just precious! What a sweetie! Share all the pics you want of her!

Congratulations on the cruise!!!! That sounds AWESOME! I hope a cruise lays in our not-so-distant future as well if we don't make it on the one we have planned for December. I look forward to your TR on that trip, the Aquaduck is gonna rock!

Your crowd pictures at AK are very familiar to our AK day. Insanity!

I will certainly share all the pictures of her! I usually only take about 100 each time I see her.

I am very excited for the cruise. This past week, I got the confirmation in the mail - how fun to get Disney mail again!!!!! Now I just want to learn as much as I can about the Dream so I am super-prepared before we go.

 

[DWGal210]

First, I have to aplogize....I hope I have not lost readers!!! I am so sorry it's taking me years to write this TR. I am literally going to schedule it into my week this week so you can have more than 1 installment!! Mea culpa - please come back and read!

So to start the next day, let's get on with the show!

The 29th dawned sunny and gorgeous. That week it was on the chilly side, but this day it was warmer - so great!!

Today was our lunch at Le Cellier - I had never eaten here before this trip and I was VERY excited to try it!! (Not to ruin the suprise, but it didn't disappoint!)

We made our way to the lobby and waited for all of our group to get there....

And in case Lady Lallie stumbles upon this little TR.....some light fixtures! Enjoy!

We then went to the bus stop and got on our bus to Epcot!

We disembarked and then made our way to the entrance. Please indulge me for a minute here - why is it that even though people are waiting in line to get their bags checked, they don't get their bags ready until they are standing right there?! I try to at least open up my bag, get it ready so the officer can simply look in it and I can be on my way in a matter of moments.

Sigh.

I digress. Rant over. I just had to get that off my chest.

OK, let's keep moving....

We made our way through Epcot and then took a right to Canada! We soon saw these beautiful sights....

We're here!! My tummy was growling and ready to go at this point.

We gave our name and reservation information to the lovely folks at the check-in area and were given a wait time of just a few minutes. We made the most of it by getting some gorgeous pictures of the area. (I think that if I were a Disney bride, I would LOVE to get some wedding pictures here. I don't know how all that works, but I think this area in Canada is just lovely and so romantic.....)

I then asked the kids to pose for a few pictures.

We were called in shortly and made our way to our table. We had a very nice waitress (whose name I cannot recall) but we were a bit surprised that even the lunch was the dinner prices; I know they sometimes do this around the holidays but we thought it was only NYE and NYD. Oh well.....we weren't leaving at this point!

I've heard rave reviews about the Mushroom Filet, and I will try that next time....but I ordered the gnocci this time. It was SO GOOD!! I wanted to get that since you don't see it on menus a lot, and I love it. It did not disappoint!! I also of course got a cup of the Cheese Soup.....OMG....that is so good!!! I wished I would have a thermos with me - I would have filled that up and sipped on the soup all day!

After our meal, we made our way beyond Canada and grabbed a few more pictures:

And some shots across the lake....

After walking around the World Showcase once, we decided we would make another 1/2 lap and then take the walk-way to Beach Club and go to Beaches and Cream.

NEXT: The Infamous Kitchen Sink!!!

 

[Charleston Princess]

You haven't lost me!!!

Hurray for Le Cellier! It does look absolutely delicious! Can't wait to eat there in July!

 

[MeMom]

The gardens and waterfalls in Canada are so pretty. Glad you liked the soup. I like it as a dip for my pretzel bread. Yum!

It was nice to see sunshine in your pictures. Mr. Sun has been avoiding us lately.

 

[MHTeacher]

I'm still here (not so) patiently waiting for more.....

Canada is really pretty; your shots of it are beautiful!

 

[DWGal210]

Before I do my next update, I thought I would post the recipe for the Le Cellier Cheddar Cheese Soup. Maybe I'll have to make that soon and let you know how it turned out.

The only thing - I don't know if I can get Moosehead Canadian here (I am assuming that's a beer) -- for you cooks out there, can you substitute any beer for that, or just use more chicken stock? I don't buy beer and I hate to buy some just for the one bottle. And only 1/2 cup, at that.

Anyhoo, here is the recipe, according to AllEars:

1/4 lb. smoked bacon, finely chopped
1 medium red onion, diced
1/2 c. finely sliced celery
1/2 c. finely chopped carrots
3 T all-purpose flour
3 c. whole milk
2 c. chicken stock
12 oz. grated white cheddar cheese
3 dashes Tabasco
1/2 tsp. Worcestshire sauce
1/2 c. Moosehead Canadian Ale
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 T thinly sliced chives

Cook the bacon in a large soup pot over medium heat until wilted but not browned.

Add onions, celery and carrots and cook until the onion is translucent and bacon has crisped.

Sprinkle in flour and stir constantly for 2 minutes. Stir in milk and stock, at little at a time, blending well to ensure there are no lumps. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for 15 minutes.

Remove from heat and whisk in cheese, Tabasco, Worcestshire and ale. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve with bread and the chopped chives.

(I'll let you know how it turns out! Now we all know one of the reasons this soup is so good, aside from all the cheese - you cook those veggies in the bacon grease! )

 

[diznenut12]

Sorry I am so late in subbing. Can not wait until the next update.

 

[Charleston Princess]

I should try that recipe since we loved the soup so much at Food and Wine. However, I think what is stopping me is I am so afraid mine won't come close to what it should taste like. Let me know how yours turns out. On the beer question, I would think you could just substitute more chicken stock, but I am not 100% sure.

 

[DWGal210]

I'm still here (not so) patiently waiting for more.....

Canada is really pretty; your shots of it are beautiful!

Hi there!!! After I type this I am heading over to your reports.....

I think that Canada is just gorgeous - they did a really good job of making it feel serene and beautiful, even during the chaos of a day at Disney!

 

[DWGal210]

Sorry I am so late in subbing. Can not wait until the next update.

Welcome!!

Don't worry about being late - as you can see, I have been slacking on updates.

Glad you're here!

 

[DWGal210]

I should try that recipe since we loved the soup so much at Food and Wine. However, I think what is stopping me is I am so afraid mine won't come close to what it should taste like. Let me know how yours turns out. On the beer question, I would think you could just substitute more chicken stock, but I am not 100% sure.

I agree - I just worry mine won't come close; and knowing the kind of cook I am (or not, in this case) I don't know how it would turn out.

I did a little research on cooking and beer substitutes, and here is what I found:

"For light beers, substitute chicken broth, ginger ale or white grape juice. For heavier beers, use a stronger beef, chicken or mushroom broth or stock. Non-alcoholic beers may also be substituted."

So now I just have to find out if that Canadian Ale is a light or heavy beer.

 

[DWGal210]

So because I feel bad for not doing more updates - here is Part 2 of Day 4!!!

When I left off, we were making our way our of Epcot and towards the Beach Club resort area. The weather was wonderful and it was warmer that day, so we thought it would be a perfect day for ice cream.

I've never stayed there but I can say that after walking around the grounds, this is FOR SURE on my list of places to stay!! Just gorgeous!

My aunt and I, in doing our research for this trip, came across a magical thing called "The Kitchen Sink." So we decided that one afternoon, we would make our way over to the Beach Club and try it out!

On our way to Beach Club, we saw this lovely kitty....we saw here a few times this trip, and I honestly can't remember seeing her much before. Made me wonder if they are coming out with an Aristocats II or something?!

We also caught a glimpse of Aurora (my favorite princess) but the line was long and we were on a mission, so we passed her by:

We made our way along the path to Beach Club and before long, we were seeing lovely things like this:

Ahh, here we are! Just amazing, I love it!

We found Beaches and Cream and put in our name.

And while we were waiting, took more shots of our group:

In only about 20 minutes, they called our name and we were ushered into Beaches and Cream. What a small little place!! No wonder it takes you a few minutes or more to get in - I kind of wonder why they don't expand it a bit and remove some of the arcade next door (which is very large) but that's just me.

There they are, hard at work, making someone's treat! YUM!

We had to sit at 2 tables; the boys at one at me, my aunt, Sadie, Alice and Justin at another table. Before we even went in, my aunt and I said we wanted to try the Kitchen Sink. The boys poo-poohed that (I honestly don't know why) and thought they would get 2 sundaes and split them.

So were ordered the Kitchen Sink and got our stomaches ready for the onslaught. In case you don't know what the Kitchen Sink is....here is a description from WDW Info:

"The Famous" Kitchen Sink - Scoops of vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, coffee, and mint chocolate chip served with all the toppings in the house and a whole can of whipped cream. Serves four.

Now here I have to inject; they shouldn't say "serves four" - they should say "Feeds Four people who haven't eaten in days". This thing is HUGE!!

When your Kitchen Sink is ready, the lights in B&C flash and your waitress gets on the microphone, letting everyone know that you are attempting to tackle the mountain that is the Kitchen Sink. I should add here that the boys were INSANELY jealous of our treat but we didn't let them eat of ours - they lost their chance.

Here it is: TA-DA!

And as we ate of it, it appeared more like this....

We weren't even able to finish it; by the time we were making our way towards the bottom, the ice cream was melting and it resembled Ice Cream Soup. But man oh man, this is SO GOOD and worth it!!

Stay tuned for Day 5!!!!

 

[brookelizabeth]

I also of course got a cup of the Cheese Soup.....OMG....that is so good!!! I wished I would have a thermos with me - I would have filled that up and sipped on the soup all day!

That is a great visual...I can just picture you walking around sipping on the thermos!

I agree with you about Canada, it's beautiful! I think it would be a LOVELY place for wedding pictures!

Now here I have to inject; they shouldn't say "serves four" - they should say "Feeds Four people who haven't eaten in days". This thing is HUGE!!

They left that detail out, eh? I can't imagine why the boys would nix the idea of a GIANT ice cream?!?! Next time they will know better. We have yet to try the Kitchen Sink, but it is on the list for a future trip, it just sounds amazing!

 

[Charleston Princess]

You got the Kitchen Sink!!! I love that you all tried to eat it! One day I want to do that, too!

Beach Club always looks so gorgeous in pictures. I really need to visit it sometime.

 

[KathyRN137]

Oh what perfect timing... I made it back just in time for the ice cream! Yum!

Sorry, boys, you had your chance!


Kathy

 

[lmillercrew]

We are DEFINATELY trying the Kitchen Sink next time. I'm curious to see how much my 16yr old bottomless pit could eat. YUUUUMMY!

 

[wigdoutdismom]

So I just had to brag a bit and share....

Here are 2 pictures of Caroline over Christmas. Isn't she just the cutest?! We saw her this past weekend (since it was a long weekend with MLK day, her parents came up) and we had the best time with her!

I just have to share more pictures of my niece, Caroline....I just love her!! We get to see her next weekend, can't wait!

Oh my goodness Katie! Little Caroline is growing up! What a darling she is!

I'm happy to say I'm all caught up!

So far it looks like an amazing trip! Your villa looks identical to ours! That 2br is incredible isn't it? We did have great animals though...
Thanks for the trip to the Beach Club, you know it's my favorite place ever!

I promise to keep up from here on out!

 

[DWGal210]

That is a great visual...I can just picture you walking around sipping on the thermos!

I agree with you about Canada, it's beautiful! I think it would be a LOVELY place for wedding pictures!



They left that detail out, eh? I can't imagine why the boys would nix the idea of a GIANT ice cream?!?! Next time they will know better. We have yet to try the Kitchen Sink, but it is on the list for a future trip, it just sounds amazing!

It is amazing!! It's a must-do for us from now on. It's a tad on the pricey side (I think around $20) but for goodness sake, it's enough ice cream to feed an army and if you bought 4-5 treats for each person at $3-4 each, you would be spending about the same amount anyway.

You got the Kitchen Sink!!! I love that you all tried to eat it! One day I want to do that, too!

Beach Club always looks so gorgeous in pictures. I really need to visit it sometime.

I do Heart the Beach Club. I keep trying to run the numbers in my head and make a quick fall trip work. But I just don't think its going to work out this year.

Oh what perfect timing... I made it back just in time for the ice cream! Yum!

Sorry, boys, you had your chance!


Kathy

That's right! I still don't know why they wanted their "own" ice cream, but whatever - just more for us girls!

We are DEFINATELY trying the Kitchen Sink next time. I'm curious to see how much my 16yr old bottomless pit could eat. YUUUUMMY!

I bet he could eat a lot of it! I think they give it to you free if one person finishes the whole thing. But there is no mention of how pays for the hospital visit when you have to get your stomach pumped.

Oh my goodness Katie! Little Caroline is growing up! What a darling she is!

I'm happy to say I'm all caught up!

So far it looks like an amazing trip! Your villa looks identical to ours! That 2br is incredible isn't it? We did have great animals though...
Thanks for the trip to the Beach Club, you know it's my favorite place ever!

I promise to keep up from here on out!

Hey Anita!! Hope things are going well for you and your family!!

I do love your Beach Club!!! So gorgeous - just lovely!!

 

[DWGal210]

I should just never, never look at these things.....


So about a year and a half ago, I contemplated moving to Florida. Even had my condo on the market and everything. Then I got cold feet, was worried I would be lonely without my family and decided not to.

But as you know, the winter here has been BRUTAL (as it's been over much of the country) and so every so often I entertain ideas of moving to warmer climates and the land of palm trees and of course, Disney World.

So like a fool, I looked today at a website that lists condos and homes for sale in Celebration, FL. For those of you who may not know, Celebration is a town only a few miles from the Disney property that was an idea of Walt's. It's a gorgeous little town with a lovely town center and AMAZING homes. Take a look at their town website if you get a chance.

Anyhoo, since the housing market has been experiencing a downturn, some of those places are now reasonable where they were once out of reach price-wise.

And guess that I found?!?!? A 1 bedroom, 1 bath condo in Celebration for $69,900!!! I shouldn't even have looked. Now I have those "should I move" feelings all over again.....oh Lord help me.