Peekaboo, I see Pluto! A 1st Birthday TR; Wrapping up PTR and TR 10/02!

[natebenma]

The French Onion Soup looks amazing! We haven't been to Chefs to try it there. We order French Onion Soup occasionally when we go out to eat, and about half of the time it is better than what I make at home, so I understand about being happy when you find a good one.

I'm with you on the powdered sugar on the funnel cake- less is more. I have the same fight with my son when we are at the local waterpark. Our tradition is to get fried dough to split before we leave, and we fight about the amount of sugar that should be applied. Perhaps I should listen to my own advice?

 

[Missyrose]

I've been wanting to try Chefs de France for awhile now solely for that French Onion soup. It looks delicious, and I can only imagine how nice it must have been on a cold day at Disney.


Funnel cakes....mmm. You can also get funnel cakes near the entrance to FotLK. It's in a snack kiosk, but they're actually pretty good.

Funnel cake at Animal Kingdom?!?!? I had no idea, thanks for the info!

thank you so much for suggesting it. Seeing the town homes was the first thing that my hubby got excited about regarding our trip so we will definitely be staying at Windsor Hills. And the money will will save can't be beat! If you want to share any other tips about staying off site, I am all ears.

I can't wait to hear all about it. It will help me fill the time before our trip next year!

I'm so glad your DH liked the Windsor Hills idea! I'll give the "offsite tips" some thought and I'll come up on a list for you.

The French Onion Soup looks amazing! We haven't been to Chefs to try it there. We order French Onion Soup occasionally when we go out to eat, and about half of the time it is better than what I make at home, so I understand about being happy when you find a good one.

I'm with you on the powdered sugar on the funnel cake- less is more. I have the same fight with my son when we are at the local waterpark. Our tradition is to get fried dough to split before we leave, and we fight about the amount of sugar that should be applied. Perhaps I should listen to my own advice?

French onion soup is a relatively simple dish, but it is by no means and easy dish to do well. I'm always thrilled when a restaurant gets it right.

I don't need my funnel cake to be a sweet snack. We're going to try the half and half technique and I'll report our findings! ​

 

[teekathepony]

Mmmm I approve of the French onion soup! Delish.
I also approve of funnel cakes. They're so fun to make at home!

 

[marDgreen88]

Tanner is so cute with his birthday placemat! (Or, all the time. Whatever.)

I'm laughing at the plate of meat. HAHAH! (Oh wait, there's an egg too.) Looks like a fun time at Chef Mickey's!

I'm loving the food countdown too. (Even though I'm a slacker and haven't eaten most of those things!)

 

[Missyrose]

Mmmm I approve of the French onion soup! Delish.
I also approve of funnel cakes. They're so fun to make at home!

The French onion soup gets two thumbs up, and so does making your own funnel cake!

Tanner is so cute with his birthday placemat! (Or, all the time. Whatever.)

I'm laughing at the plate of meat. HAHAH! (Oh wait, there's an egg too.) Looks like a fun time at Chef Mickey's!

I'm loving the food countdown too. (Even though I'm a slacker and haven't eaten most of those things!)

Tanner is just so darn cute all the time, but yeah he was super cute that morning at CM. He was just so happy!


​

 

[Missyrose]

Favorite Things to Eat at Disney

We’ve made it to the top 10! I can’t believe the trip is just 10 days away!

10. Dole Whip

Ah the Dole Whip. I don’t know how it took me 28 years of life before I finally tried one of these beauties. But thanks to the Disboards, I finally did and boy was it worth it! Franklin and I prefer the float. The combo of the ice cream (sweet) and pineapple (citrus) is just perfect. Here’s Franklin’s take, and also a funny picture of him trying to avoid being photographed scarfing the Dole Whip down in approximately three bites.

A refreshing snack on all those hot days in Florida. It’s sweet but not too sweet.
And the combo of the ice cream and pineapple juice is like nothing else I've ever tried.​

 

[marDgreen88]

10 days? What on earth? Everyone is going to Disney so soon all of a sudden! (Except for me, of course.)

Are you gonna finish the TR before then?

I've never had a Dole Whip. It has alluded me trip after trip.

 

[Missyrose]

10 days? What on earth? Everyone is going to Disney so soon all of a sudden! (Except for me, of course.)

Are you gonna finish the TR before then?

I've never had a Dole Whip. It has alluded me trip after trip.

Yep 10 days, crazy right? I've felt the same way about everyone going to Disney lately. Are you still planning on going in December?

Yes, this TR will be done before we leave. Mainly because the TR for this next trip is going to be MASSIVE and there's no way I'll get it done before we go back to Disney in January (two TRs going at once! ). So this one will be finished this week, period.

We missed Dole Whips on this last trip, that won't ever happen again.​

 

[Missyrose]

Favorite Things to Eat at Disney

Ack! I was so busy yesterday with work and then a charity event I helped plan that we didn’t have a chance to do the single-digit dance!
Wuh-hoo!

I can’t believe how quickly this trip is approaching. We just finished packing the box of stuff for our Owner’s Locker, and we’ll ship it tomorrow! But enough with this stuff, let’s get the countdown rolling again...

9. 50s Primetime Cafe root beer float and onion rings

Ah 50s Primetime Cafe, home of the best comfort in all of Disney World. And two of our favorite things to order are the onion rings and Franklin’s beloved root beer float. The onion rings have always been crisp and not too greasy. The root beer float is yummy, but very messy. When Franklin ordered one in 2010, Cousin Cooper (our waiter) brought it out and proceeded to put a ring of napkins around it on the table. And in true 50s PTC fashion, he said: “This is going to be messy,” he said. “And it looks like I won’t be getting any help from the two of you with cleaning up.” Loved him. I know he's still working there because I've seen him pop up on other TRs, so I'm hoping we have him as our waiter again in October.

8. Le Cellier cheddar cheese soup, pretzel rolls and mushroom fillet

Here’s the thing about Le Cellier, the food is to die for. But on a hot day, you just don’t feel like eating a whole steak yourself. So on both trips to LC, Franklin and I have split meals. On our first Canadian jaunt last October, we split the uber-famous cheddar cheese soup, mushroom fillet and macaroni and cheese. The meal was delicious. But we learned a very valuable lesson: NEVER SHARE A BOWL OF CHEDDAR CHEESE SOUP

The stuff is just too good to share with anyone else. Lesson learned, we got two bowls on the March trip.

And there’s nothing better to dunk in that soup than the pretzel rolls. Quick tip, tell your waiter to just bring the pretzel rolls instead of the mixed-bread basket (I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone eat that multigrain bread anyway!)

The mushroom fillet has been so incredibly good both times we’ve ordered it.

I swear Franklin would bathe in the truffle butter sauce if given the chance.

In very exciting Food and Wine Festival news, they’ve made some changes to the Canada kiosk. The cheddar cheese soup is making a return engagement and they’re adding the mushroom fillet! No Le Cellier ADR on this trip (it’s on the schedule for January though!). But if anyone’s looking for us, you can probably find us camped out at the Canada kiosk buying multiple orders of the soup and fillet. ​

 

[Missyrose]

Favorite Things to Eat at Disney

7. Butterbeer
I know, I know. It’s blasphemy to put something from “the dark side” on a countdown of our favorite Disney food, but since we’re visiting Universal and Islands of Adventure, I figured my favorite snack from those parks could make a quick cameo here.

It’s hard to explain exactly what Butterbeer tastes like. The best I’ve been able to do is: A butter-infused cream soda.
I prefer the frozen version, it’s less sweet than the regular version.

So many frozen drinks are often chocolatey or fruity, so this was a delightful alternative that tastes unlike anything else I’ve ever had.​

 

[PrincessAmongPrinces]

I can't believe that your trip is coming up so soon! You guys have some amazing stuff planned, so I just know you'll have a wonderful time. PS-- Your updates are making me very hungry!!

 

[teekathepony]

So I finally tried the cheddar cheese soup last week! It was delicious, and DH and I shared one bowl, but luckily I'm not a huge soup person (especially creamy soups) so even though we both loved it, DH ate most and I was ok with that.
Mmmmmmmmmm butterbeer! I love the regular most, but I think I'm in a minority!

 

[Missyrose]

I can't believe that your trip is coming up so soon! You guys have some amazing stuff planned, so I just know you'll have a wonderful time. PS-- Your updates are making me very hungry!!

I can't believe how fast the last couple of weeks have gone by! Today is my laundry day to make sure everything I need for the trip is clean and ready to pack on Monday/Tuesday.

Flipping through all these photos to find the ones I want to use for the countdown has made me REALLY hungry!

So I finally tried the cheddar cheese soup last week! It was delicious, and DH and I shared one bowl, but luckily I'm not a huge soup person (especially creamy soups) so even though we both loved it, DH ate most and I was ok with that.
Mmmmmmmmmm butterbeer! I love the regular most, but I think I'm in a minority!

Yay! I'm glad you finally got to try the soup! I've actually read a couple of TR where the writers liked the regular Butterbeer better. I don't necessarily dislike the regular Butterbeer. But if given the choice, I'd probably order the frozen every time. I'm just glad there is a choice!

​

 

[Missyrose]

Favorite Things to Eat at Disney

6. Vanilla cupcake with pink frosting

Disney is rapidly becoming known for its creative and unbelievably delicious cupcakes. Most of them are elaborate with unique flavors and textures. But for my money, there’s no cupcake I’d rather eat at Disney World than the vanilla cupcake with colored frosting. The first one had blue frosting and it turned my entire mouth blue. Lesson learned! Only the pink frosting is really safe to eat without making a mess.

The cake is moist and the frosting is sweet without being over-the-top sugary. It’s a perfect snack to grab on your way out of the park to take back to your resort, just let the CM know you need it to be packaged to travel.​

 

[natebenma]

I am going to be all over the place with this post.

First off, the pictures at Chef Mickey are adorable! I did notice Franklin was missing The photo on the way in is good though. I hate that if you want a picture of your whole group, you have to rely on the generosity of other guests.

Back to the funnel cake... Did you know that somewhere in the World there is a Pumpkin Spice Funnel Cake? Not sure where, but it was on someone's Disney To-Do list for next month.

Dole Whip Float

Butterbeer (I agree with you about the frozen)

Cheddar Cheese Soup and filet

The gorgeous cupcakes at Disney amaze me, and the flavors are intriguing, but cupcakes are not my favorite dessert, so the only ones I have had are the complimentary BD and anniversary ones.

But if you are ever interested in doing a Creme Brulee crawl around the world, I'm your gal!!!

 

[DisneyFanDC]

Favorite Things to Eat at Disney

6. Vanilla cupcake with pink frosting

Disney is rapidly becoming known for its creative and unbelievably delicious cupcakes. Most of them are elaborate with unique flavors and textures. But for my money, there’s no cupcake I’d rather eat at Disney World than the vanilla cupcake with colored frosting. The first one had blue frosting and it turned my entire mouth blue. Lesson learned! Only the pink frosting is really safe to eat without making a mess.

The cake is moist and the frosting is sweet without being over-the-top sugary. It’s a perfect snack to grab on your way out of the park to take back to your resort, just let the CM know you need it to be packaged to travel.​

Well, now all I can think about are these cupcakes! And Hello Cupcake up the street just doesn't have the same Disney magic By the way, I love how you are finishing up your PTR with your top food pics at WDW, brilliant!

 

[Missyrose]

I am going to be all over the place with this post.

First off, the pictures at Chef Mickey are adorable! I did notice Franklin was missing The photo on the way in is good though. I hate that if you want a picture of your whole group, you have to rely on the generosity of other guests.

I know having Photopass photographers with the characters at character meals could end up being chaos. But it makes it kind of pain to make sure everyone gets in the pictures otherwise.

Back to the funnel cake... Did you know that somewhere in the World there is a Pumpkin Spice Funnel Cake? Not sure where, but it was on someone's Disney To-Do list for next month.

Had not heard about the pumpkin funnel cake, I'll see if we can find it!

Dole Whip Float
Butterbeer (I agree with you about the frozen)

Two thumbs WAY UP on both!

Cheddar Cheese Soup and filet

For those wondering, the prices officially went up on the Food and Wine Festival kiosk menus today and the new fillet with truffle butter at Canada is $6.50 (less than I thought it would be!).

The gorgeous cupcakes at Disney amaze me, and the flavors are intriguing, but cupcakes are not my favorite dessert, so the only ones I have had are the complimentary BD and anniversary ones.

But if you are ever interested in doing a Creme Brulee crawl around the world, I'm your gal!!!

You had Franklin at creme brulee crawl, he wants ALL THE DETAILS.

Well, now all I can think about are these cupcakes! And Hello Cupcake up the street just doesn't have the same Disney magic By the way, I love how you are finishing up your PTR with your top food pics at WDW, brilliant!

The closest I've come to those Disney cupcakes is Crumbs in D.C. and New York. Really moist cake and yummy vanilla frosting! Thanks for the compliment n the countdown. I think they're a fun way to count down the last few weeks until the trip.
​

 

[Missyrose]

We last left off with a fun breakfast with Mickey and the gang. It was a gray, overcast day. But the threat of rain couldn’t ruin our last day at Disney! We hopped on the monorail and headed for Magic Kingdom!

We realized we hadn’t taken any photos in front of the castle. So we began the day with our own (no-so) private photo session at the hub. Franklin had dashed off for Space Mountain FPs but was back with us in a flash.

The Photopass photographer even took some cute candid shots of Tanner.

Mommy and son.

Hey, look, it’s Mickey! And Walt!

We then encountered a princess that none of us had ever met before.

While we were talking with Tiana, a very recognizable fellow showed up and wanted to know why we wanted to talk to her and not him! So we said our goodbyes to the gorgeous princess and marched behind our new friend into Adventureland.

Peter was so much fun to meet! There was no one else waiting to meet him so we talked for a while. This is something I learned on this trip. Mornings can be great times to meet characters. So many (us included) race from attraction to attraction in the morning to take advantage of the low crowds. But if take a minute to look around, you’ll realize there’s no one waiting to meet the characters. It makes for great interaction and you avoid all the waiting in line and rushing through the meets later in the day!

Once we parted ways with Mr. Pan, Tanner was in need of a diaper change, so we headed for the bathrooms in Adventureland. Once he was good to go

We headed for another set of characters, this time over in the bazaar. But as we approached the line, the characters’ friend told us they had a “regularly scheduled magic carpet ride” but they would be back in about 15 minutes. So we decided to take a magic carpet ride of our own. As we waited in the short line, we couldn’t help but notice how droopy Tanner’s eyelids were getting.

And by the time we climbed aboard the carpet?

He was out. Completely. I look forward to the day we get to explain to him that he has actually ridden this ride, he just doesn’t remember it.

Nice photo bombers in the background, right?

Did anyone know they had Photopass photographers by that ride? We got off the ride and they handed us a card. They had taken our picture on the ride!

We decided to hop back in line for Jasmine and Aladdin, Tanner was still asleep but we thought he might wake up in time for the meet and greet.

So did he wake up? Well, no. But Jasmine and Aladdin fawned all over our adorable sleeping boy.

​

 

[Missyrose]

Next we moved onto that Adventureland classic that sails you on the high seas. Though Tanner and Kotkham chose to stay on dry land.

Our Space Mountain FPs had come due, but none of us wanted to pass up Haunted Mansion. There was no line in the queue, so how long could it possibly take, right?

We got to the room with all the eyes

and we stopped. No problem, HM stops all the time to let people with mobility issues get on and off the ride, I knew we’d be moving again in a minute. 12 minutes later, we finally got moving again.
But I was starting to panic about missing our SM FP window. While I was panicking in the dark, Franklin was taking the best HM photos he’s ever taken.

We collected Kotkham and Tanner and booked it through the ever-growing crowds in Fantasyland and Tomorrowland to Space Mountain.

We made it with one minute to spare in our FPs’ grace period. Phew!

We had planned to go to Downtown Disney for lunch and a little shopping, but there was one more stop we had to make before leaving the park.​

 

[natebenma]

Oh, wow!!! What an amazing morning.

I love all of your castle pictures. The closeups of Tanner broke my cute-o-meter! And it is really adorable the way Tanner is rasing his hand in front of the Walt-Mickey statue.

What fun character interactions with Tiana and Pan. I think the "friend" of the Pan in your photo is a DISer. Even though Tanner missed out on the interaction with Aladdin and Jasmine, you still have some memorable keepsakes from that visit.

That is so cool that you have Photopass pictures from the carpet ride. I would love if there were more photographers at some of the rides for pictures.

Finally-

Best.RidePhotos.Ever!



Seriously!

Love the colors in the picture of the Pirate queue. The pictures inside Pirates are amazing. Great shot of the Mansion and I agree with your review of the HM pictures. Space, too.

Question for Franklin- have you taken any pictures of the fire scene in pirates that you are happy with? I think I have mentioned to Missy that Big Ben in PPF is one of my "white whales". You nailed that one on a past trip. The PotC fire scene is my other one.