Some people ARE worth melting for ….. 40 Disney days – the trip of a lifetime updated October 10

[dizneeat]

breakfast looks tasty. Is that the Wave?

The one in the last update is California Grill, the one before that is Olivias.

 

[momof3princes]

Happy New Year! Glad to catch up on your reviews. I want to do the Star Wars dessert party now AND the CG brunch...and you are not even done with that review
People are unbelievable that they snuck into the dessert party and then had the nerve to argue with the cast members!
Can wait to see the rest of the brunch review

 

[dizneeat]

I want to do the Star Wars dessert party now AND the CG brunch...and you are not even done with that review

I don't blame you. We want to do them again as well. I really need to fit in the Cali Grill brunch again this summer, even though it came with a hefty price tag.

People are unbelievable that they snuck into the dessert party and then had the nerve to argue with the cast members!

That's what I thought. They got some nerve to clearly sneak in and then argue.

Can wait to see the rest of the brunch review

Your wish is my command! Brace yourself, lots of food coming right up!

 

[dizneeat]

Day 12, August 14

More food and fireworks - Part 2

There was a wide variety of things, we walked along once to take photos and to have a look at things, then we picked up a plate and started filling it. Tom went straight for the sushi. He loves California Grill’s sushi, so having a nice selection on the buffet he started on that. He took some

California Rolls with Jumbo Lump Crabmeat, picked some Salmon and Tuna Nigiri and some Spicy Tuna Maki rolls and tried the Shrimp Tempura with Orange Drizzle and Mango. He also put a Devilled Lake Meadow Farms Egg, Crispy Lardons and Spicy Aioli and a Baby Iceberg Wedge Salad with marinated tomatoes, Cherrywood bacon, avocado-buttermilk ranch dressing and some Kale and Apple Salad with dried cranberries, pink pearl apples, marcona almonds and apple vinaigrette on his first plate. They even had small side dishes with Wasabi, Soy Sauce and Ginger for the sushi lovers. My plate looked a bit different. I had picked a

Devilled Lake Meadow Farms Egg, Crispy Lardons and Spicy Aioli and a Baby Iceberg Wedge Salad with marinated tomatoes, Cherrywood bacon, avocado-buttermilk ranch dressing and some Kale and Apple Salad with dried cranberries, pink pearl apples, marcona almonds and apple vinaigrette and some Fregola Salad with crispy sauteed vegetables, lemon vinaigrette, Florida hearts of palm. The rest came from the Charcuterie Board, House-smoked orange Honey Ham, Pork Sausage, Midnight Moon Cheese and Gorgonzola Cheese and some crisp bread. We returned to our table, took photos of our food and started eating. We had read some mixed reviews about California Grill’s Brunch and were very happy to find out that we really liked and enjoyed what was on our plates. Tom went back for seconds and got some more of the

California Roll, the Tuna Nigiri and the Spicy Tuna Maki rolls as well as the House-smoked orange Honey Ham, the Pork Sausage, the Bison and Sweetbread Terrine, Midnight Moon Cheese, some House-made Pickles and some of the crisp bread. And while he was indulging in his goodies I had more of the nice pastries that we had been served. The jam was absolutely delicious and went perfectly well with the Scones. And shortly after we had finished our pastries and buffet items we were served the entrees we had ordered. Tom again, had opted for the

Grilled Hanger Steak served with two fried eggs, Chimichurri, Marble Potato Hash and Charred Red Onion and I had wanted to try the

Shrimp and Grits, gulf white shrimp with Tillamook cheddar grits, Spicy infused tomato broth, Espelette-spiced tomato ragout. This was totally different from what I had had at Narcoossee’s and it was so good. I got a taste of Tom’s as well and the steak melted in your mouth and the potatoes were so tasty. Well, and I guess they all need to show off their

Eggs Benedict, as again we were served an extra portion of the Poached Lobster Benedict with Butter-Poached Tail, Two Soft-Poached Eggs, Honey Ham, Yuzu Hollandaise and Marble Potato Hash. They were delicious, the lobster was so soft and sweet and the eggs were poached perfectly. Thankfully, this time we had gone their without a lot of breakfast and we were able to finish all of our entrées but only just.
We were stuffed.
So, when the

dessert plate came out we knew there was no way to still eat it. Katie seemed to guess that and told us that she would give us a few minutes to decide if we wanted to try something and then she would get us a box to take it all with us. There were

Madeleines, square Linz Tarts, Macarons,

Chocolate Truffles and

Caramel filled Dark Chocolate with pecans and sea salt. I tried a tiny bit of the chocolate and oh boy, it was good. But it would have been a waste if I had had more, as I was so full. So we took Katie up on her offer that she would bring us a to-go box and she did.

We boxed everything up, paid our bill and before leaving we took a few more photos of the lovely view.

Then we were off to the elevator, went down to the concourse and through the shops before walking out to our car. Soon we were back at our villa and changed into more comfortable clothes, then we put in another load of laundry and I went on to do some more packing. Around 2pm we decided that it was time to go and have some pool time. We changed into our swimsuits, put on a T-shirt and walked over to the quiet pool. There were quite a few guests enjoying the pool but it was still easy to find some loungers and then head into the pool. We swam, drifted around for a bit, sat in the sun and swam some more. Around 4.30 in the afternoon we packed up our things and went back to our villa. And after taking showers we got ready to head back out again and meet Michelle and her family again. So we used the bus to go to the Magic Kingdom and jumped on the Monorail to get to the Polynesian Resort,

because before we wanted to meet with Michelle we wanted to check out Trader Sam’s.
So, once we arrived at the resort we needed to take in the changes to the resort as we had not seen them before and then we went in search of the bar. It was not hard to find and we peeked inside, and it seemed pretty full. But there were people just paying their bill and we waited and sat down at their table. We picked up a menu and tried to read it, but it was pretty dark,

(photos were taken before we left, that's why it seems so empty)

​

it was loud, the servers were “clowning around” and I had a hard time deciding on something and the same was true for Tom. We decided that we wanted a bite to eat with our drinks, so we quickly agreed on the

Kahlua Pork Tacos with cabbage and pickled vegetable. But we still had not made our mind up when the server came by to take our order. Tom didn’t think any more about it and ordered the

Uh-Oa!, Myers's Original Dark Rum, Bacardi Superior Rum, orange, passion fruit, guava, pineapple, and grapefruit juices, Falernum, Cinnamon, and fresh lime juice. The server went on about something, which we did not understand and all we caught was that he didn’t want Tom to order it. We thought it was part of his spiel and Tom insisted on ordering it. I had ordered the

Castaway Crush, Leblon Cachaca, Cream of Coconut, pineapple, cinnamon, and fresh lime juice and finally the server gave in and went to get our drinks. Only later did we find out that Tom had ordered a drink for two and this was what the server had tried to point out. While we waited they served several drinks, the volcano erupted and more shenanigans and then our food and drinks were served. The food looked good, it smelled wonderful, so we picked it up and tried to bite off a bit, but the juices and oil ran all over our hands. So I tried to flag down the server to ask for plates and maybe cutlery, but he ignored us and so did the other server. Then I walked up to the bar to ask for it and the bar tender girl could not be bothered. By that time I was getting pretty annoyed with them, but since Captain Cooks was just next door I walked over there and asked for plates and cutlery and they happily handed it to me. When I got back there were a few surprised looks and then our server decided to come over to mention that he could have gotten us some plates. Yes, but you cared to ignore us, friend, so I helped myself. We sat sipping our drinks and eating our food and finally I got a text from Michelle that they were on their way. It was time to finish off those drinks and pay our bill and while we were still doing that Michelle came in to look for us. We went to pick up Tom’s souvenir mug and offered two of ours for one of his, but no, he just wanted to see our bill. We walked outside and hugged Vito and Angelina and then we headed up to the Monorail to ride it over to the Contemporary, while Vito drove their car over to Bay Lake Tower. We arrived there about 20 minutes later, took the elevator down to the main level and used the sky walk to get over to Bay Lake Tower.

To be continued ....​

 

[Anesthesia Fine]

Ohhhhhh, that brunch. Deviled eggs and sushi? I'm weeping with envy.

Enjoying the report so far! This all sounds wonderful!

 

[monorailsilver]

I only like the charms from Lucky Charms. I can recall as a kid begging my more to buy me similar cereal and she kept saying I was only going to eat the marshmallow and I kept telling her no...um..yeah I lied! I can tolerate it now but more for a handful and I don't use milk. Can't do sweet/sugary cereal with milk!

Greek yogurt is not my thing either. I like yougurt and figured I'd try it a few years ago. Mine went in the trash after one scoop too.

So Tom drank that whole drink himself? I'd still be drunk as I am a (fat) lightweight these days. Your drink sounds yummy!

And BTW, I am dying for eggs Benedict. Every time I read your TR, I see many pictures of that yummy delight. I need to find a brunch that serves it!

​

 

[Tink2Day]

Happy New Year Karin and Tom!

Wow the brunch at the Cali Grill looks so elegant and yummy! I fear though that I'd be done after one plate of the deliciousness!

Lucky charms....pure sugar. If Tom had eaten even the whole of that small container he would have been doing back flips in the buffet line.
The drinks look delish, sadly I'm allergic to all coconut, but some things are worth dying for I guess

Not a fan of Greek Yogurt although I can stand it with honey and pomegranate seeds....strange I know. Still enjoying your report. I was going to comment on your teaching woes but it gave me PTSD, I was an elementary school teacher (2nd and 4th grade) in a former life, now I'm a professional in the medical industry and as a Senior citizen I'm contemplating my next career... maybe an artist, designer or architect, which I'll stick with for a while and when I'm 80 I'll find another career.
Keep up the great reporting, loving it so far!

 

[Grumpy's Wife]

So many updates. Either you are updating like crazy or I've just been MIA since Christmas. Love reading so many of them. Those drinks looked delicious. How was Tom after having the double?

 

[Pinkocto]

Your California Grill brunch looks too good for words!

Lovely to enjoy an afternoon by the pool.

The Trader Sams experience just sounds bizarre.

 

[cinderaimee]

Wow I just got all caught up! Everything looks amazing except for the weird service at Trader Sam's.

I can't decide what looks more delicious, your brunch or the dessert party.

Those blue skies over the Boardwalk look so lovely. I am ready to go back!

 

[WDW Fan]

I just found your trip report and got all caught up! It looks like you had an absolutely magical trip so far and I can't get over how many days you were able to visit for! I really enjoyed all your pictures and commentary.

 

[franandaj]

Brunch at the California Grill looks wonderful! I'm in the mood for sushi now!

I'm surprised that the server hassled Tom about that drink. At WDW they have no problem serving that one to one person, but at DL, they absolutely will not serve it to one person.

 

[momof3princes]

Love that they let you box up those yummy desserts! Sorry you did not have the best service at Trader Sam's!

 

[ThreeBoyMama]

What a great report! I've read your previous ones over on the Dining Review board...not sure how I missed this one! All caught up and looking forward to more. (Also, your brunch at CA Grill looks like it was amazing!)

 

[Joyce T. Powell]

Tom and I would like to wish all our friends here on the DISboards a very
Happy New Year!

May 2017 only bring happiness and joy and lots of Disney fun!​

Happy New Year to you and Tom(albeit 19 days later **giggles**)

Can't wait to read where your journeys take you in 2017!

All the best,

 

[MAGICFOR2]

Hi Karin! Your brunch looks delicious! Trader Sam's is a pretty unique experirnce, isn't it? When we were at the DLR version in December, there were alot of crazy things ordered, and it was fun to see what would happen. Of course we had to get the souvenir cups, which will be stashed somewhere and never used again. I'm sorry your service was no good. Too bad for them, right,

 

[SweetSerenity]

Jumping in! I always enjoy reading your reports!

 

[dvc at last !]

I am in to read later .......

 

[dizneeat]

Yikes, it has been a month since I last posted here ................

I will be back shortly with replies to your comments, but I have a little update on our trips .............

DLRP:
Believe it or not, we will be there in exactly two weeks - we leave here very early on Sunday morning, have a 4 hour stopover in Frankfurt and will arrive in Paris at around 1.30pm. Then to pick up a rental car and off we go to the Kyriad hotel for the first night. (Flights were a lot cheaper flying in on Sunday instead of Monday and I was not able to add on to our Disney resort stay without an upcharge (to the regular price - as ours is a special offer). We will most likely check out the Disney Village as we don't have tickets for that day.
Next day we move to hotel Santa Fe (kind of DLRP's value hotel) for 3 nights. After breakfast (included) at Kyriad we will drive straight over (5 minutes), pick up tickets and head to the park. You can easily walk from the hotel to the park in about 10 minutes and then we will enjoy the parks.
Not much dining planned as the menus have not changed, only prices have gone up and we were not happy with the quality of food those last few times we have been - guess we will have some CS and Earl of Sandwich or "in room" dining (picknick dinners from the grocery store).
We'll fly home late on Thursday.


WDW/DCL Aug/Sept 17
We have tweaked and changed our summer trip several times now and today I was able to book the last part of it and at least the hotels are all set.
This is it:
We'll fly in on the 22nd and I had booked the Clarion (Lake Buena Vista) for the first night. Then, as time progressed and the timetable for August was available I found out the Epcot has EMHs on our arrival night. Only chance to get there is if we stay closeby. So when our DVC window opened I sat there at 2pm (8am EST) and tried to hit the jackpot in scoring a BCV room for that one night - NO such thing. By the time it went through the room was gone and we settled for a BWV room Boardwalk view. On Wednesday this week I checked availabity for the rest of our stay as my window opened today and low and behold there is a BCV room for the one night we need. So without much discussion I picked up the phone and talked to Member Services to cancel the BW room and put the (borrowed) points back into holding, while I paid for one time use points to save some of our 2018 points (as I am already borrowing from them). There was a short tense period when she cancelled the one room and had to go pick up the BCV one, but we got it!!! and therefore are spending our first night at BCV!
After that we wanted to do OKW/studio, but as I said, we are kind of short on points and I was thinking about Pop and pricing it out and then Riverside. Then I came about a really nice deal but wasn't sure it was for real. So after some research I asked for a quote and the resorts and prices were unbelievable. We ended up booking the Grand Floridian for what I would have paid for a Princess room at Riverside. Can't believe we are staying at the Grand for 5 nights!!!!
After that we are off to our Dream cruise. Well, again, in the beginning we had booked a back to back, but as soon as I found out that Food and Wine was starting on Aug 31, we had a short discussion and we both agreed that we would drop the second cruise and enjoy F&W instead.
So I was left with figuring out how to bridge the few extra days, especially since we wanted to stay at BCV (and close to Epcot ). I was prepared to shell out all those 2018 points until I checked the DVC availability calendar and saw that the first day we needed at BCV was already sold out. I know I can waitlist, but I guess I am far too impatient for that, so I was trying to figure out what to do instead.
I emailed the person with the great GF deal and asked if they had anything available for YC/BC and he did. Again, great rate, so we decided to spend the first 4 nights at the YC and today I booked the last four nights at BCV! Which means we are all done and we will NOT change anything!
So here it is ........

Arriving late on the first day and staying at ...
Beach Club Villas 1 night
Grand Floridian 5 nights
Disney Dream 4 nights
Yacht Club 4 nights
Beach Club Villas 4 nights​

ADR booking window opens while we are at DLRP - knowing their internet, this should be FUN (not!)

Oh, and before you aske - yes, it is ONLY 18 nights - no comparison to the 41 nights we had last summer.

Time for bed for me now, but I will be back soon with replies and an update!

 

[MAGICFOR2]

Hi Karin! It's nice you have all of your plans made. I'm sure both trips will be great!