SEMI-LIVE 5 weeks of onsite/offsite dining adventures Jan-Feb ‘23 *7/9 FINAL Update*

[elaine amj]

The next day we ate lunch and dinner in the condo. We were in AK for so long before coming back for a very late lunch that we were tired out so hung out in the condo all evening and ate our Ale and Compass brunch leftovers for dinner.

Today, I took a solo day.

Started off with a frozen banana as I had wanted to try one for a long time. Very expensive at $6. It tasted good with a mild banana flavour although not as chilling as an ice cream bar. The chocolate coating is as expected and yummy. Enjoyable but not something I would crave. I did use to make “ice cream” with bananas at home with my vitamix. I like the Mickey ice cream bars better lol.

I eventually made my way to Nomad lounge where I waited nearly an hour for a patio table. They did offer to seat me immediately but the table was in full sun and I knew I’d melt into a puddle (have been having hot flashes) and want to leave asap.

Was worth the wait as in the interim, I scored a slot for Passholder Previews of Tron!! I’ll get to ride it when I come back on my next trip Also, the table they gave me was lovely and shady.

I ordered a Zingiber Fizzie with a passionfruit puree, mint, simple syrup, and lime juice topped with ginger beer. Also was able to order the charred octopus appetizer off-menu from Tiffins.



The drink was good with some fizz. But I prefer watered down juice (I watered the occasional juice I gave my kids down a lot and got used to it myself lol) so I liked it after I added some ice water .

The octopus was really really good. So tender I cut it with my fork. The corn was pretty spicy and it all paired together wonderfully. The pickled onions were also really good. Expensive, but I felt this was worth it.



I have read many rave reviews about the Gobi Manchurian. I asked the server as I don’t care for cauliflower much but she assured me it was breaded and really good.



It looks more fried than it was. In reality, it all looks and tastes much like cauliflower in a yummy sauce. I would have liked it more if I had one piece. As it is, I couldn’t get over the fact that it looked and mostly tasted like cauliflower. VERY large florets too. I had expected it to be fully breaded like nuggets.

Then I ordered the famous churros.



They are beautifully fried. But I forgot that they would be rolled in sugar. I like sweet but not a fan of that amount of sugar coating - I like glazed better. It ended up tasting like fried sticks of air. I would have loved more dough. Overall, I wasn’t a big fan of Disneyland churros and nor was I a fan here so I am obviously not a churro person. Give me boring glazed donuts any day.

I gasped when I saw the bill. I spent over $60 this morning alone between the frozen banana and Nomad. Eek! Really not used to how much drinks add to the bill (as we are water drinkers) and I didn’t even have anything alcoholic!



Dinner was supposed to be a series of lounges but the prices were killing me.

I headed to Geyser Point at Wilderness Lodge. There was a wait for a waterfront spot when I got there.

To be honest, I wasn’t super impressed with the location as it is set quite far back from the water. Much as I love WL, I couldn’t get in the mood for GP. I did go sit by the water for a bit in the public seating area. The only thing on the menu that appealed was the bison burger but by now I had PJ’s takeout fried chicken on my brain.

Finally gave in, decided to skip GP and take the bus to Fort Wilderness. There I got my fried chicken with a tiny chunk of cornbread along with mac n cheese and mashed potatoes.




Got a table by the beach in a super private corner.



Chicken was not the best but it hit the spot, especially dipped in honey. Mashed potatoes were about what you’d expect at a mass buffet (which is fine with me - I love mashed potatoes) and mac and cheese was pedestrian with that yellow cheesy sauce I am not so keen on.

Price is a Disney bargain. The 8 pc meal is only double this price so a huge savings for a family.



Later on I made it to Aloha Isle before it closed at 10pm and got a Tropical Serenade which I took to the Enchanted Tiki Room.



POG juice paired perfectly with the coconut soft serve. And it all mixed together so well I could drink a mix of the ice cream and juice through the straw. Just the way I like it! The creamy coconut elevated the already delicious POG juice into something next level.

You have to like coconut though as it is very strongly coconut. The little cakeball was also covered in shredded coconut.

Expensive but I loved it. And enjoying it in the Tiki Room was simply perfect.



Compares very favourably with Frozen Sunshine from Beaches and Cream although I love the fizziness in Frozen Sunshine.

I’m a cheapskate but there are some things I will splurge on lol!

 

[Betsyp]

The food we had at Chefs de France was ok, not amazing. Then again, we didn’t try a lot of options. I would go again but it is not a major must-do for us although we have walked away happy every time. I probably wouldn’t do desserts again though - very overpriced.

And, there are great dessert options in France - ice cream, crepes and pastries !

 

[elaine amj]

And, there are great dessert options in France - ice cream, crepes and pastries !

I hear ya. That brioche ice cream sandwich is incredible! And the bakery - yummy!

Unfortunately I can’t think of any tables in the France area other than the ones indoors at the bakery. That are basically always crowded. So too difficult for DH to have any ice cream, etc from here as he needs to sit and eat. Unless we take it over the to tables by the fish and chips shop in the UK….

 

[Betsyp]

I hear ya. That brioche ice cream sandwich is incredible! And the bakery - yummy!

Unfortunately I can’t think of any tables in the France area other than the ones indoors at the bakery. That are basically always crowded. So too difficult for DH to have any ice cream, etc from here as he needs to sit and eat. Unless we take it over the to tables by the fish and chips shop in the UK….

I had that brioche ice cream sandwich in November - I can still taste it now!

Hah, I had to sit on a stoop to eat, so I know what you mean ...

 

[elaine amj]

I had that brioche ice cream sandwich in November - I can still taste it now!

Hah, I had to sit on a stoop to eat, so I know what you mean ...

Funny how there are some foods you can still taste months and years later. I can taste it too! Hope I manage to fit it into my plans this trip The days are slipping by…

Today we popped into Epcot for a couple of hours and I had the Almond Frangipane Cake from Pop Eats as I remember liking it last time we were at FArts.



It was ok but not memorable this time. Very dense and almost wet feeling cake with a strong almond flavour (which I like). This time around, nothing jumped out at me and while it was pleasant enough, it certainly did not induce any swoons.

Side note - it was PACKED in Epcot today!! I think lines were long (we have not been paying enough attention daily to notice) but every where we went in World Showcase was solidly packed.

We walked a big loop around Future World as I felt like a nice walk.

Spaceship Earth said 45 mins but the line spilled out of the queue and wrapped all the way along one side to the construction wall.

Lines at the Guest Services umbrellas were insanity from 10:30-11:30. At 11:15am there must have been 12-15 parties in line at the umbrella near Guardians. That’s a very long line in the blazing sun. The line was nearly as long over by the Nemo ride.

Things calmed down after 12:15pm and I saw maybe 3 parties in line at the blue umbrella near Nemo.

Maybe I am just never in this area at this time. Or maybe I am just not expecting it like I do when I come for Christmas week.

 

[Betsyp]

Funny how there are some foods you can still taste months and years later. I can taste it too! Hope I manage to fit it into my plans this trip The days are slipping by…

Today we popped into Epcot for a couple of hours and I had the Almond Frangipane Cake from Pop Eats as I remember liking it last time we were at FArts.

View attachment 740536

It was ok but not memorable this time. Very dense and almost wet feeling cake with a strong almond flavour (which I like). This time around, nothing jumped out at me and while it was pleasant enough, it certainly did not induce any swoons.

Side note - it was PACKED in Epcot today!! I think lines were long (we have not been paying enough attention daily to notice) but every where we went in World Showcase was solidly packed.

We walked a big loop around Future World as I felt like a nice walk.

Spaceship Earth said 45 mins but the line spilled out of the queue and wrapped all the way along one side to the construction wall.

Lines at the Guest Services umbrellas were insanity from 10:30-11:30. At 11:15am there must have been 12-15 parties in line at the umbrella near Guardians. That’s a very long line in the blazing sun. The line was nearly as long over by the Nemo ride.

Things calmed down after 12:15pm and I saw maybe 3 parties in line at the blue umbrella near Nemo.

Maybe I am just never in this area at this time. Or maybe I am just not expecting it like I do when I come for Christmas week.

That must be for the Festival of the Arts...how fun ! I love almonds, dislike marzipan, but that cake is so cute, I might have ordered it if I were there, lol.

Epcot is supposedly very busy on Fridays and weekends...

 

[elaine amj]

That must be for the Festival of the Arts...how fun ! I love almonds, dislike marzipan, but that cake is so cute, I might have ordered it if I were there, lol.

Epcot is supposedly very busy on Fridays and weekends...

yep - it’s the long weekend so busy everywhere.

Still I forgot to log in until 1:02pm and still managed to snag a Virtual Queue for Guardians - woot!!! I had gone back to the room for an afternoon break when 1pm rolled around.

 

[elaine amj]

Today we ate at Yak and Yeti. Had a very good server which was lovely.

DH ordered his usual Malaysian seafood curry. It is so good - a very mild curry (not spicy at all) and so smooth and creamy. The lobster ravioli is insanely good, especially drowned in the curry.

I tried the Tikka Masala this time. Very nice! Quite spicy though. DH tried a bit but can’t handle much spice anymore.



I liked my dish a lot - the tikka masala was rich and creamy and had well rounded flavours. I eat a lot of Indian curries and this was well done.

However, I still love the Malaysian seafood curry more. I should add (again) that it really does not taste anything like a Malaysian curry. Maybe because it uses coconut milk?

Dessert was my fave pineapple wontons which is a lovely balance of crispy wonton and sweet cream cheese balanced by vanilla ice cream.



DH was still a bit hungry so he ordered a kids stirfry noodle. He only ate a few bites of it before he was full *sigh*. At least it was only $10 and I have some grapes and carrot sticks to eat tomorrow.

Bill was $88 and I had a $25 birthday reward. I used Landry’s gift cards to pay and I got those at 20% off. So paid about $50 plus tip.

I had just enough time after our lengthy dinner to drop Dh off at the condo and arrive in Epcot for 8:30pm to ride Guardians

 

[olliesmom]

We have been debating between a Tusker House and Yak and Yeti reservation on our April trip. We have Tusker House booked right now for the little ones, but I keep reading such great things about Yak and Yeti. We have a lot of great Asian restaurants near us (Toronto) so have gone with the character experience so far... but those wontons look so great!

The solo evening looks so lovely, and you made it to some great quiet hideaways in WDW!

 

[auntfrannie]

Today we ate at Yak and Yeti. Had a very good server which was lovely.

DH ordered his usual Malaysian seafood curry. It is so good - a very mild curry (not spicy at all) and so smooth and creamy. The lobster ravioli is insanely good, especially drowned in the curry.

I tried the Tikka Masala this time. Very nice! Quite spicy though. DH tried a bit but can’t handle much spice anymore.

View attachment 740615

I liked my dish a lot - the tikka masala was rich and creamy and had well rounded flavours. I eat a lot of Indian curries and this was well done.

However, I still love the Malaysian seafood curry more. I should add (again) that it really does not taste anything like a Malaysian curry. Maybe because it uses coconut milk?

Dessert was my fave pineapple wontons which is a lovely balance of crispy wonton and sweet cream cheese balanced by vanilla ice cream.

View attachment 740617

DH was still a bit hungry so he ordered a kids stirfry noodle. He only ate a few bites of it before he was full *sigh*. At least it was only $10 and I have some grapes and carrot sticks to eat tomorrow.

Bill was $88 and I had a $25 birthday reward. I used Landry’s gift cards to pay and I got those at 20% off. So paid about $50 plus tip.

I had just enough time after our lengthy dinner to drop Dh off at the condo and arrive in Epcot for 8:30pm to ride Guardians

The Malaysian Seafood Curry was one of the most delicious dishes I've ever had. There was one time I went there looking forward to having it again and it wasn't on the menu. Glad it's back!

 

[elaine amj]

We have been debating between a Tusker House and Yak and Yeti reservation on our April trip. We have Tusker House booked right now for the little ones, but I keep reading such great things about Yak and Yeti. We have a lot of great Asian restaurants near us (Toronto) so have gone with the character experience so far... but those wontons look so great!

The solo evening looks so lovely, and you made it to some great quiet hideaways in WDW!

I travel to Toronto regularly and you are right - lots of great Asian restaurants.

Yak and Yeti just stands out still because it has a lot of unique dishes. The famed Ahi Tuna Nachos is a fab mix between salad and chips and - hint of sushi. The Dragon Roll Bowl is a fabulous deconstructed sushi. The Malaysian Seafood Curry is a unique spin on curry.

My son has had the burger and it was way better than I expected - deserves it accolades as one of the best burgers in WDW. I wasn’t as impressed with their Korean beef or the lettuce wraps (mostly because I found them too salty - but again, that’s a familiar refrain for me). The pork belly bibimbap was also delish, but maybe not the best bibimbap ever (I had that in a Korean joint near Rocky Mountain National Park lol).

They also have a nice range of approachable foods. Most solidly good although some a bit more pedestrian.

Kicking myself I didn’t try DH’s kids’ noodles last night - I have been curious. But the only place I actually go out of my way for noodles is Ohana.

Tusker House is also very good with lots of fun curries. And of course meeting characters (although I prefer official Meet n Greets for nicer photos). Also much more $$ than Yak and Yeti. Part of why we like Y&Y is due to the value. Plus I get 20% off buying Landry’s e-gift cards from Costco.com (with my Cdn Costco membership). And we have a Landry’s membership which gives $25 off sometime in the 45 days near your birthday. Plus no need for reservations- Landry’s members get priority seating.

 

[olliesmom]

Thank you so much for your response - the Costco tip just sealed it for me. I switched out reservation over to Y&Y! And I think I might have already decided on the nachos and wontons!!

 

[elaine amj]

Thank you so much for your response - the Costco tip just sealed it for me. I switched out reservation over to Y&Y! And I think I might have already decided on the nachos and wontons!!

It is worth signing up for a Landry’s membership. It costs $25 to join and you immediately get a $25 welcome credit. Then on the 45 days near your birthday (hint - u can use any date you like. They don’t care as u only get one a year and you get it that same time every year from then on), you get a $25 birthday reward to use at any Landry’s including TRex and Rainforest Cafe in Disney Springs, Bubba Gumps near Universal, and a bunch of other offsite (i think I may have used one in Vancouver but can’t remember).

 

[elaine amj]

Oh wow - it has been a little while since my last update! Been absorbed in my books in my spare time And also finalizing my mid March trip with our friends - that is a GO! So I might continue this neverending food review to include that trip too. Although I doubt I will have time to do it live when travelling with more people than just my husband.

Onwards with the FOOD!

On Saturday, we were in DHS and decided to get totchos from Woody’s Lunchbox. DH was able to easily eat the totchos in October and December. As always, I got regular and he got plant based.



Unfortunately we had clear evidence of his deteriorating condition here. He tried but just couldn’t swallow as it was dry and he got really upset. My patience ran a bit thin as he shoved his bowl of already minced up totchos into my hand insisting I take it to the counter to show the CMs and ask for more sauce or something.

Ugh - I did NOT want to take that unappetizing looking bowl up with me but he was so upset I took it. I asked a CM for help and she graciously got us a bowl of extra chilli to help him get the food down.

He was able to eat the food after but still had difficulty so no more totchos for him. It didn’t go great at Beaches and Cream earlier in the trip either.

As for the totchos themselves, they were delicious as always. Something about the combo of the crispy potatoes, chilli, sour cream, etc is just so good!

Later we decided to go watch the Beauty and the Beast show and I stopped for a frozen lemonade at Anaheim Produce (near the beginning of the street leading to the theatre).

I asked them to add a dab of blue raspberry too. It’s just frozen Minute Maid lemonade but somehow it tastes a million times better than lemonade. As far as I am concerned, it is the best slushy in WDW (and we have tried most of them over the years lol). The machine here blends it super smoothly and the ice is never too big and it is always perfectly frozen. The lemonade is not too tart, not too sweet, and almost has a sparkle to it. It is entirely refreshing and just so good! Especially on a hot day or when you are thirsty.



Perfect treat to take in to watch the Beauty and the Beast show

 

[elaine amj]

That night, we returned to Three Bridges at Coronado Springs Resort as we had loved it so much before. And like before, I managed to choose a chilly, windy night. I was also silly enough to give DH my jacket as it got cooler and I ended up freezing later in the evening.



DH got the grilled shrimp poke bowl again and I ordered the famous Signature Burger. Our server split the burger for me in case I couldn’t finish so I could take it to go. Spoiler: we ate it all.



The poke bowl was good as always with a really delightful coconut lime sauce. DH had an impossible patty added as a side to bulk up the poke bowl.

The burger was as excellent as they say. Everything was well balanced and the combination of all the flavours just worked well together. I ended up putting about a quarter of the burger through the food processor and with the help of some extra garlic aioli, he was able to eat it all, including the bun. He hasn’t eaten a burger in many months! He loved it and says he wants to order it next time.

I enjoyed the first few fries. But then the rest ended up too crispy for my taste (I like soft potato-y steak fries and usually hand all the crispy bits to DH and DD). And somehow loads of salt landed near the bottom and I couldn’t eat the last 4-5 fries as it was just way too salty.

I had my usual tres leche. It just melts in the mouth. It really is outrageously expensive for such a tiny portion - but where I am from, none of the tres leche is as wet and drowned in milk like this. Probably due to the sponginess of the cake. It’s a very different taste and texture





Still love this place. It has such a relaxing vibe as it is directly on the water. And the resort itself just makes me go aaaaahhhh. We took a stroll around the lake after dinner and I was enchanted by the pretty courtyard outside some casitas near the convention centre.

 

[ThreeBoyMama]

That burger looks delicious! The poke bowl too. Sorry the totchos were a challenge for your DH. It must be incredibly frustrating for you both when he’s unable to manage something he previously enjoyed.

 

[elaine amj]

Next up - I took a solo day and even woke up early enough in the morning to book a Guardians VQ.

Went for 9am aquafit at my resort in the morning and spent so long yapping with some ladies that I didn’t leave for Epcot until after 11am.

Hungry so first stop was at Pop Eats for Tomato soup with pimento cheese, bacon, and fried green tomatoes. I took it to a picnic table I spied to the left of the area between Future World and World Showcase.



The grilled cheese was delicious - a really nice balance of flavours and a very hearty portion for $6.50. The tomato soup was ok - but I am not a big tomato soup fan.



After chilling for a while, I continued my stroll around World Showcase. Next up was Germany for the pretzel bread pudding I have heard so much about. I took it to a standing table in a pretty spot in the Italy isola as every other table I saw was full. It was a busy day!



The sauces were good. Unfortunately my portion tasted rather dried out. A very crunchy exterior and and the interior was not particularly moist either.



Flavour was good. But I prefer my bread pudding to be extremely moist and to melt in the mouth. It did not compare to Sebastian’s or Ohana.



Next I was walking past Japan and on a whim decided to try the sushi donut. I asked for extra aioli and the staff happily added more sauce to it.



It’s a pretty dish and I am still deciding if $8.50 was worth it. I suppose so as it was a decent portion size and the sushi tasted fresh. I ate each type of seafood in a separate bite and it was tasted like I had a plate of several different types of sushi.



I had snagged a table in the Japan QS area which is generally quiet and serene. It was lunchtime in mid February and every single table was in use. I didn’t stay long and moved on after I finished eating.

Since I was walking past France, I couldn’t resist getting a brioche ice cream sandwich, this time with pina colada sorbet and chocolate sauce. The line took ages.



But the brioche sandwich is incredible. Light, airy brioche warm from the press filled with really good quality ice cream (this is NOT Edy’s!). Somehow the ice cream stays really cold and does not get melty even as I ate my way through the sandwich. Maybe the insulation from the warm bread? I don’t understand it.





Still, $10.12 is a lot of money for one scoop of ice cream. But it is better than most TS desserts. Even if I had to eat it sitting on a set of steps going down to the water just before the bridge between France and the UK. It was a lovely shaded corner right on the water with nobody nearby. The quietest, most serene, and prettiest spot I have found in Epcot so far.

I have to say - snacking around the World adds up fast. Just these few bites totalled $29.97. I could have had a full table service meal for that. Cheaper than all my snacks at Nomad Lounge the other day though. That bill left me a little horrified lol.

 

[elaine amj]

That burger looks delicious! The poke bowl too. Sorry the totchos were a challenge for your DH. It must be incredibly frustrating for you both when he’s unable to manage something he previously enjoyed.

Yeah - that did make it extra frustrating. Some days we are able to stay cheerful and positive and some days are just harder.

DH was thoroughly upset with himself last night and there’s not a whole lot I can do - it’s annoying getting told to cheer up all the time. So I just gave him a very long hug.

Talking has gotten harder lately. He’s at the point where I can barely understand him and I am GOOD at deciphering what he says from a few clues. We loaded an app that can talk for him last night and we’ll see if it helps with communication. Right now it’s a bit of twenty questions lol. Are we talking about food or our son? He was trying to tell me a name yesterday and finally I had to reel off the alphabet so he could tell me the letter it started with lol. It’s been interesting and thankfully I have been able to stay very patient with him to help him through his frustrations.

A couple of years ago I was cranky, sarcastic, short tempered and spent nearly a whole year picking fights with him while he was insanely patient with me. I knew I was being awful but man, I couldn’t stop saying nasty things. I eventually crawled my way out of that hole - my family were definitely praying hard for me

For now, DH can still eat and enjoy food and since he loves eating out, we continue to seek out food he enjoys. We associate our Disney vacations with tons of good food and after so many years, it still lives up to that

We have about 1.5 weeks of food reports to go

 

[Counting Stars]

Sometimes its hard to know what to do or say- those are the worst times with someone you love... The best advice I have been given when facing really hard and trying times was to just go and live my life- not every day or moment is awful. Appreciate those moments. The two of you seem to be doing exactly that and making the best of the challenges you face. I find you and your husband to be quietly inspirational. You likely help others without even knowing...

 

[rhenkt]

Your report is a joy to read and you seem like a wonderful wife.

Also if your husband loves chocolate, try the chocolate cake from Boathouse. It's big enough for about 6 people, but it's truly phenomenal.