crabbygal902
after a lapu lapu, I'm not so crabby anymore
- Joined
- Feb 17, 2007
- Messages
- 1,678
We made 0 ADRs this trip and it was great. We've done the whole 180 day prior, getting up at 6 am to get online thing many times, and I' pretty much done with it unless there is something really special we want to book or if we are ever on the dining plan again. I checked the app several times during my trip, and there were always options available at the last moment. There are so many good lounges and counter service places at WDW and we like to have some flexibility with our choices.
Maleficent Soft-Serve Cone from Storybook Treats: Perhaps my favorite snack *ever*. Sour lime ice cream, purple sprinkles, chocolate horns, and a chocolate cone--delicious and fun. I suppose that it is too late to get one now but if they are offered again next fall, be sure to try one.
Calfornia Grill, Monorail Bar Crawl Stop 1: apparently, the word is out about eating early in the lounge without ADRs so that you can return to watch fireworks later. By 5:30 the lounge was full but we were seated at the sushi bar, which was also very cool. It was fun to watch the chefs create sushi and other entrees in the kitchen. CG no longer has my favorite Kim Crawford Spitfire Savignon Blanc, so that was a tad disappointing. I did not think the replacement was as good, but I don't like sweet wines. The bread basket has changed to all sourdough but was served with a delicious tomato/olive oil/garlic mixture. The food was great as always and the sunset was gorgeous from that vantage point.
Tiki Terrace/Trader Sams, 2nd stop on the Crawl: The Poly was absolutely packed. What on earth was going on at the Poly on Oct 27th??? I figured that Trader Sam's was a no-go, but we checked anyway. The wait was 90 min, but no worries. We went to the Tiki Terrace, which we prefer anyway. The Tiki Terrace was slammed also! No seats were available and the line snaked around the outdoor bar. Our next thought: hey, maybe we can get something at the pool bar (there is a section where people not staying at the Poly can walk up without actually going into the pool area.) Again, long lines. The Tambu Lounge is closed for a refurb, so we made our way over to GF.
Walkway between the Poly and Grand Floridian: If you have never done this, you must try it at night. We did because the wait for the monorail was insanely long and I'm glad it worked out that way. It is a gorgeous walk and only took 10-15 min at a pretty slow pace.
Mizner's Lounge at the Grand Floridian, Crawl Stop 3: The cheese plate was not impressive at all and quite expensive. I wouldn't order it again. The martini was good but pricey, $15 for a call brand. However, listening to the big band play with a drink in hand was fantastic and really put a cap on a nice evening.
Morimoto lunch: I made an ADR an hour before lunch with no problem. We ordered pork dumplings and ramen to keep costs somewhat lower. Both were fantastic and I highly recommend this place. I think that the surroundings would be more beautiful at night, however. The restaurant was nearly empty the entire time we were there, from about 12-1:15.
Food & Wine Festival: My favorite food by far was the Lobster Roll. Holy moly it was amazing and had huge chunks of lobster. It was great to sit at the fountain listening to Hanson perform, eating a lobster roll, and having a glass of wine. The escargot croissant in France and the beef in Belgium were also great. My favorite drink was the smoky margarita from Mexico.
Special F&W Event Duck and Wine Pairing: Totally worth the $25 per person. The wine was good but became even better when paired with the entree. We enjoy the pairings and the lower cost makes them more attractive than other event options.
Everything Pop Food Court: gets a big ole 'eh' from me. We visited several times for convenience's sake, trying offerings for the different meals. The burger was fine, the chicken nuggets were pretty good, the cupcake was good, the pasta was not, the biscuit and gravy most certainly were not. The condiment stations weren't there and had been replaced by packets of ketchup and mustard, not much else. I don't know if this is permanent or not.
Satul'i Canteen: Loved it! The bowls with all the different options of meat, bases, and sauces are wonderful. It is one of my favorite CS locations now.
Tangierine Cafe: Amazing, as usual. The shawarma platter easily fed 2 of us, and we were really hungry.
Pecos Bill: The fajita platter and a Hades Nachos plate (special for Halloween) with the fixin's bar additions made a nice meal for the 3 of us. The food was very good and plentiful.
Cosmic Ray's: I did a Mobile Order so I could try the Galaxy Fries on the 'secret' menu. I loved them! They have melted cheese, pico, bacon, creamy garlic sauce, and hot cheese dust. If you miss Pinnocchio Village Haus' Figaro Fries, you must try these.
Fairfax Fare: The 3 of us shared a shredded pork rice bowl, it was a huge portion and very good, lots of veggies in it. It was nice to have a healthier option than the usual theme park burger and fries.
Sodas: The price increase made a huge difference for us, a group of soda drinkers. A regular size soda is now a whopping $3.99 and made us think twice before ordering. We tried to remember to carry a refillable water bottle and used that much of the time.
Maleficent Soft-Serve Cone from Storybook Treats: Perhaps my favorite snack *ever*. Sour lime ice cream, purple sprinkles, chocolate horns, and a chocolate cone--delicious and fun. I suppose that it is too late to get one now but if they are offered again next fall, be sure to try one.
Calfornia Grill, Monorail Bar Crawl Stop 1: apparently, the word is out about eating early in the lounge without ADRs so that you can return to watch fireworks later. By 5:30 the lounge was full but we were seated at the sushi bar, which was also very cool. It was fun to watch the chefs create sushi and other entrees in the kitchen. CG no longer has my favorite Kim Crawford Spitfire Savignon Blanc, so that was a tad disappointing. I did not think the replacement was as good, but I don't like sweet wines. The bread basket has changed to all sourdough but was served with a delicious tomato/olive oil/garlic mixture. The food was great as always and the sunset was gorgeous from that vantage point.
Tiki Terrace/Trader Sams, 2nd stop on the Crawl: The Poly was absolutely packed. What on earth was going on at the Poly on Oct 27th??? I figured that Trader Sam's was a no-go, but we checked anyway. The wait was 90 min, but no worries. We went to the Tiki Terrace, which we prefer anyway. The Tiki Terrace was slammed also! No seats were available and the line snaked around the outdoor bar. Our next thought: hey, maybe we can get something at the pool bar (there is a section where people not staying at the Poly can walk up without actually going into the pool area.) Again, long lines. The Tambu Lounge is closed for a refurb, so we made our way over to GF.
Walkway between the Poly and Grand Floridian: If you have never done this, you must try it at night. We did because the wait for the monorail was insanely long and I'm glad it worked out that way. It is a gorgeous walk and only took 10-15 min at a pretty slow pace.
Mizner's Lounge at the Grand Floridian, Crawl Stop 3: The cheese plate was not impressive at all and quite expensive. I wouldn't order it again. The martini was good but pricey, $15 for a call brand. However, listening to the big band play with a drink in hand was fantastic and really put a cap on a nice evening.
Morimoto lunch: I made an ADR an hour before lunch with no problem. We ordered pork dumplings and ramen to keep costs somewhat lower. Both were fantastic and I highly recommend this place. I think that the surroundings would be more beautiful at night, however. The restaurant was nearly empty the entire time we were there, from about 12-1:15.
Food & Wine Festival: My favorite food by far was the Lobster Roll. Holy moly it was amazing and had huge chunks of lobster. It was great to sit at the fountain listening to Hanson perform, eating a lobster roll, and having a glass of wine. The escargot croissant in France and the beef in Belgium were also great. My favorite drink was the smoky margarita from Mexico.
Special F&W Event Duck and Wine Pairing: Totally worth the $25 per person. The wine was good but became even better when paired with the entree. We enjoy the pairings and the lower cost makes them more attractive than other event options.
Everything Pop Food Court: gets a big ole 'eh' from me. We visited several times for convenience's sake, trying offerings for the different meals. The burger was fine, the chicken nuggets were pretty good, the cupcake was good, the pasta was not, the biscuit and gravy most certainly were not. The condiment stations weren't there and had been replaced by packets of ketchup and mustard, not much else. I don't know if this is permanent or not.
Satul'i Canteen: Loved it! The bowls with all the different options of meat, bases, and sauces are wonderful. It is one of my favorite CS locations now.
Tangierine Cafe: Amazing, as usual. The shawarma platter easily fed 2 of us, and we were really hungry.
Pecos Bill: The fajita platter and a Hades Nachos plate (special for Halloween) with the fixin's bar additions made a nice meal for the 3 of us. The food was very good and plentiful.
Cosmic Ray's: I did a Mobile Order so I could try the Galaxy Fries on the 'secret' menu. I loved them! They have melted cheese, pico, bacon, creamy garlic sauce, and hot cheese dust. If you miss Pinnocchio Village Haus' Figaro Fries, you must try these.
Fairfax Fare: The 3 of us shared a shredded pork rice bowl, it was a huge portion and very good, lots of veggies in it. It was nice to have a healthier option than the usual theme park burger and fries.
Sodas: The price increase made a huge difference for us, a group of soda drinkers. A regular size soda is now a whopping $3.99 and made us think twice before ordering. We tried to remember to carry a refillable water bottle and used that much of the time.
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