Stuffing my face @ Disney (holiday style): TUSKER HOUSE LUNCH! [3/26/13]

[emmebear]

hello everyone (again).

HAPPY HOLIDAYS from emme & me!


i just wanted to start my dining review with a few pictures from MVMCP last night. i'm going to be on hiatus for a few days as my brother leaves for afghanistan on the 21st & it's been a very tough time for my family. image taken at fort bliss a few weeks ago.

my brother is on the left. he's a sergeant in the us army reserves & he is a combat medic for the military police. he will be the head medic of his unit during this deployment to afghanistan. he has already completed one tour in iraq. he is only 23 years old.



onwards to this dining review...

needless to say, my daughter & i spent 3 nights at disney to celebrate my daughter. to make a long story short, my daughter had 2 unexplained seizures which lead her to the ER (where she had her second seizure). she actually stopped breathing after her first seizure. she was in the PICU for 8 days & 7 nights.

we are celebrating as she has been seizure free for one year. the doctors have no idea why she had her seizures (was not febrile) & we see a neurologist every three months. what better place to celebrate than disney!

what a difference one year makes!


here is where we stuffed our faces....well, mainly...i stuffed my face.


LANDSCAPE OF FLAVORS @ AOA
PRINCESS STORY BOOK DINING @ AKERSHUS (breakfast)
BOMA (dinner)
CINDERELLA'S ROYAL TABLE (breakfast)
BE OUR GUEST (dinner)
MVMCP (party time!!)
TUSKER HOUSE (lunch)
various snacks & adult beverages at epcot, magic kingdom & animal kingdom


i also did some live reporting and the amazing barb (jabead) has posted the live reporting here. thanks barb for all your hard work!


i just wanted to share some of my favorite shots during MVMCP. this was taken at the 7:45 show at the castle. we got great seats in front and i got some fun & steady shots (especially with a squirmy 2 year old sitting in my lap).

this is my favorite!


again, happy holidays to all my disboards friends!

 

[butiflfeet]

Wow! Congratulations to Emme for great health this past year! And please thank your brother for his service. His (and your family's) service to our country is much appreciated.

I'm really looking forward to your reviews! They're always so much fun to read!

 

[suburbiatexas]

thanks so much to your family and especially your young brother on his service to our country.....

and many hugs to you and your daughter on her year of mending....

look forward to your reviews

 

[rachel09985]

Looking forward to more! Gotta get my fix in before Jan!

 

[lizzytizzy]

Joining in!

 

[CaliBear]

Congratulations on one year of improved health for your daughter. She is so cute. I'm sorry for the difficult time your family is having.

Your pictures are wonderful. I read one of your recent reviews and will be joining this one. Looking forward to it.

 

[princess aleya]

I'm so happy to hear that your daughter is feeling better. You're exactly right there is not a better place to celebrate than WDW. I can't wait to hear more about your trip.

 

[MissPrice]

Joining In -Amanda

 

[4simpsons]

First - a big thank you to your brother and your family for what he's doing.

Second - you have a gift. Thanks for sharing!

 

[emmebear]

thank you everyone for the warm responses & support. my brother flew out today to begin his deployment in afghanistan.

this is my brother's medic unit. he's in the 320th MP & is the head medic on this deployment. i'm so proud of him! please everyone pray for their safe return.


i wanted to cheer myself up so i was looking at my MVMCP pictures and decided to start my dining review with pictures from the party. it also is helping me to get into the holiday spirit.

here are some of my favorite moments during the party.

emme getting her face painted which was located close to the bathrooms by space mountain. here's a tip: you get FREE touch ups all day! we went back numerous times to add some more glitter to her face as well as glitter lipstick!

mickey & minnie looked so cute in their holiday outfits.

donald was so funny!

cinderella's castle was breathtakingly beautiful this night.

the ballerina during the nutcracker portion.

mickey & the toy soldiers.

santa goofy!!

i loved all their holiday attire.

walt & mickey.

holiday wishes with fireworks over the beasts castle!

emme & i stood around the "be our guest area" and got a great view of the fireworks. we moved around a little so we could see the fireworks over cinderella's castle but overall, we had a perfect view of holiday wishes. it was glorious!

emme & i a little after midnight. the photopass photographer was very nice and waited until most of the crowd cleared from the castle area to take our picture. i'm glad to have a nice shot of me & my daughter.


and here are some of my favorite character meet & greets:

emme & merida

fortune teller daisy in fantasyland.

a [very] enthusiastic emme (ha) & minnie mouse.

daredevil goofy! that's his motorcycle in the upper left corner. ha ha!


and these pictures with donald "the snake charmer" duck are some of my favorites. emme does not smile for me (i've traumatized her) & she doesn't smile to spite me (i think). so i asked her to show donald her ballet moves. donald started to copy emme's ballet moves. it was so ridiculously cute. she still talks about her meeting with donald today.

emme giving donald some ballet lessons!

so cute!

still doing some ballet moves!


later on during the party, we saw scrooge! i've never seen him before at the parks.

it was actually his idea to pick up emme's shoe like in cinderella.

emme dancing with woody & jessie!

the force is strong with this one!

we did have a late night "snack" at casey's. this was the plain hot dog meal with fries. no drink is included. the cost was $7.99 with tax. the toppings bar had everything minus chili. it even had hot cheese! i thought it was a great value as emme and i both shared everything. the bread was a little weird but other then that, it was pretty good. fries were nice and hot & we found a quiet place to sit and just relax for a minute before heading into frontierland for the last 45 minutes of the party.



we spent all day at magic kingdom on MVMCP. the bulk of our time was spent in fantasyland. there's just so much to do in this area for emme. we had such a great time. i'm really glad to have caught the very first show at 7:45. it was tough getting out to fantasyland after the show was over but it was worth it.

we caught some glimpses of the parade and the snow on main street was a nice touch. we did not take advantage of the free hot cocoa or cookies. i will admit that the holidays bring out the ugliness in some people. a few people were downright rude and terrible because of my jogging stroller. i think i have really great stroller etiquette but some people are just awful.

we will be returning next year as we had an absolute blast! our last ride was the magic carpets of aladdin. it was about 12 midnight but the CM still let us on. it was really nice of him and the perfect way to end our night.

next up, LANDSCAPE OF FLAVORS @ AOA

 

[Ro Z]

Merry Christmas! Best wishes for a Happy Healthy New Year. Love your reviews and love seeing pics of your beautiful daughter!

 

[jecskc]

Joining on !!! Your photos are amazing and Emme is the absolute cutest !! Looking forward to reading more. And thanks to your bother for his service and to your family for the sacrifices included with it. May God keep him safe.

 

[emmebear]

thank you again everyone for the compliments for my photography & also for praying for my brother & family. haven't heard from my brother yet so we're hoping for a phone call when he can give us a ring.

seeing the pictures did really cheer me up.

happy holidays everyone!

 

[Wills Mom]

I love love love your pics! The Donald and Emme ones in particular Emme is simply beautiful Glad shes well now, having seen my DS hooked up to wires for 5 days earlier this year only to be told they didn't have answers for me I can sympathise! Its NOT nice seeing them so helpless but what better place to celebrate Emme's health than WDW!
Also sending prayers for your brothers wellbeing, its a great service he is doing especially at only 23!
Merry Christmas to you and yours

 

[emmebear]

LANDSCAPE OF FLAVORS @ AOA


happy new years everyone!!

to continue my dining review, we started our trip with an impromptu meal @ landscape of flavors @ aoa. we originally had dinner plans at narcoossee's with viewing for holiday wishes but unfortunately, due to an accident on I-4, we missed our dinner ressies.

we were staying @ pop century for this short trip & i decided to head to AOA for dinner.

the christmas tree @ pop century

we were placed in the 50's section but did not pay the preferred room rate. passholder special for the room was $73! couldn't pass that up.


we made the very short drive to AOA. technically, we could have walked but it was a little chilly so we got in the car & made it to AOA.

emme calls this "the snake".

the christmas tree at the AOA lobby.


it was very crowded at AOA this night. i guess we arrived at peak dinner time. we headed over to the tandoori section & ordered dinner.

TANDOORI BONELESS CHICKEN THIGH W/ 2 SIDES: SAAG PANEER & LENTILS, BASMATI RICE, NAAN

this portion was a lot smaller than the portion i received back in october. in fact, i was still hungry after finishing this. maybe it's cost control but the portion was basically less than a scoop of everything. on the positive, the chicken thigh was not dry this time around.


below is a picture of my meal back in october. note the larger portion of the rice & lentils.

the saag paneer (spinach w/ cheese) was very weird. it is definitely not authentic but the paneer was good. the lentils were tasty but on the cold side.

i also got a side of their tandoori sauce (i was hoping they had some raita to dip my bread in) but it was the closest sauce they had. it was a bit tangy but not what i was wanting. speaking of sides, emme got an extra side of basmati rice as well. and let me tell you, it was one teeny tiny scoop of rice. the last time we got a side of rice, our bowl was overflowing with rice.

the great thing about AOA is that you can use your TIW card and receive 20% off your entire meal. this is a very nice perk. the only odd moment about using the TIW card is that the CM has to wait for a manager over ride to use the card.

emme and her very small serving of basmati rice.


for dessert, we got the mickey cupcake. again, we were unable to eat this cupcake as it fell and crashed to the ground. it looked yummy though. on our last trip, we were unable to eat the same cupcake as i tried to save it for later but water got into the container. i guess it wasn't meant to be.

after dinner, we headed to publix to stock up on a few groceries to put into our fridge.

VRROOOOOOOM!


overall, i was disappointed in my meal this time around at AOA. the portions were smaller & there was difficulty in trying to use my TIW card. it was a nice meal to have so close to my resort but i think i would have been happy with a sub sandwich from publix over the $13.00 meal i had at AOA.

one last thing, this was my first time staying @ POP & it was one of the worst nights of sleep i have ever had at any resort. the pillows were very firm and both mattresses were sagging in the middle. i asked for different pillows but it seems that all the pillows were very firm. we ditched the pillows and slept on sweaters and jackets. i had such an awful migraine from sleeping on the pillow for a few hours as my head was at a very awkward angle. after spending such long hours at the parks, all we wanted was a good nights sleep. unfortunately, pop was TERRIBLE. i will not be staying there again. i've stayed at other value resorts (all star movies & AOA LM section) and POP was by far, the absolute worst in terms of quality of sleep (mattress, pillows, blankets). my room was definitely showing signs of age.

next up, STORYBOOK PRINCESS BREAKFAST @ AKERSHUS

 

[emmebear]

emme & i made a trip to disney last weekend & we FINALLY got to see "the osborne family spectacle of dancing lights" @ disney's hollywood studios. i made the trip specifically to see the lights as sunday was the last day for the lights. the trip was definitely worth it as the lights were FANTASTIC!

i also got to (dis)meet rachel09985 & we had such a fantastic time together @ the parks. she's awesome!

i'm also going to combine my january dining report with this holiday report as well.

so onwards to my few pictures i took...and again, these pictures do not do these lights justice.

the sky was beginning to darken as the lights turned on.

finally, darkness!

the osborne family spectacle of dancing lights!

thank you rachel for snapping this picture.

hidden mickey.

self-portrait of me, emme & baby simba.

i loved the tree (spot the hidden mickey).

baby jesus & company.

emme's taking it all in.

this "canopy" in front of san fransisco was absolutely spectacular!

glorious!

 

[emmebear]

updated 2/24/13


PRINCESS STORYBOOK DINING @ AKERSHUS!

one of my most favorite places for breakfast is @ akershus. i'm not a huge breakfast fan but the cheesy potatoes have me coming back with each trip to disney. another added bonus is that emme gets her princess fix & you also receive a "complimentary" photo with bell. given, you are paying for the picture but it's still nice to receive. also, this meal is 1 TS. i used my TIW card for our breakfast.

emme is very excited to see the princesses.

upon arrival, you check in at the podium. then you are herded into a line next to the podium where a CM will call your family name. after your name is called, you enter another line to take your picture with belle.

she's patiently waiting for belle.


it was our turn to see belle. she looked pretty as always.

as usual, emme does not look at the camera. she does this on purpose & i really think it's because i have traumatized her with taking so many photos of her OR she's just being defiant.



after the picture, you are greeted by another CM & taken to your table. we have sat at the same table the last 3 visits to akershus. maybe this is a sign that we have breakfast there too much. ha ha.


there is a cold buffet for breakfast which has yogurt, nuts, fruits, assorted pastries, and smoked salmon & fish. you could easily be full & happy from the cold buffet alone. the fruit is always ridiculously fresh and refilled quickly.

emme's first plate of food.

my cold plate. look at the gorgeous blackberries!


another awesome aspect of akershus is the orange juice. it looks freshly squeezed or maybe it's just pulpy orange juice but it's very good.

and you can't have breakfast without a cup of coffee.

notice emme always bites the tops off the strawberries first before she continues.


onwards to the star of breakfast:

CHEESY POTATOES!!

these cheesy potatoes are sinfully good. i love love love them. i cannot get enough of them. they are that good. i'm more of a savory person rather than sweet & these potatoes are so warm & comforting. they are reason enough for me to return with each trip. SOOOO GOOD!

this is the family style plate that is served at the table. you can get as many refills as you like. i've seen vegetarian families omit the meat & load up on the eggs & cheesy potatoes.



as we began to eat, emme's friends came for a visit:

jasmine

princess aurora

snow white

back to the food:

REAL BACON!

unlike some buffets which serves very tragically limp bacon, the bacon here is thick & delicious. no sad, limpy bacon here.

emme enjoying her ginormous strawberries.


and then the princess processional begins:

emme walked in ariel's line.


speaking of ariel (who is emme's favorite princess):

we had another great breakfast at akershus. it is pricey (about 41.00 using my TIW card which includes 18% gratuity) but you also get a picture with belle. i really enjoy breakfast at akershus...it has never disappointed. it is my favorite meal there as i have had breakfast, lunch & dinner. i've had disappointing meals at both lunch & dinner. this is a definite must for all the princess lovers out there...plus the food is very good.


after our breakfast, emme wanted her face painted:

then she started to have a tiny meltdown:

getting our complimentary 5x7 at epcot.



next up, dinner @ boma!

 

[rachel09985]

I am soo excited to try Akershus. Those potatoes do look delicious! We are going to have to order two helpings, one for each of us.

 

[emmebear]

I am soo excited to try Akershus. Those potatoes do look delicious! We are going to have to order two helpings, one for each of us.

I've eaten an entire order myself. I have no shame!

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Loving your review(s) - congrats for Emme being a year without a seizure - that must be one of the hardest things the experience. Also, thank you to your brother for serving - very much hoping he is safe


We generally do the lunch at Akershus - but I think out next trip we will do breakfast there