Stuffing Our Faces On Land and Sea - A Wedding & Honeymoon at WDW/DCL

[elphie101]

Hi there everyone, and welcome to my first ever dining review! Over the past few years I've become a bit of a Disney foodie (much to the DH's dismay) and this trip seems like it was made to be a dining review! A bit about us:



I'm Jenn, your author with an Italian appetite, and I've been coming a bit adventurous in the eating world as of late. I'm the one who will spend hours pouring over Disney Food Pics and making hypothetical ADRs for trips we haven't even booked.

My DH is Kevin, who is a recovering picky eater, and thusly does not share my enthusiasm for eating (for example, his favorite QS in Epcot? Liberty Inn). He is however quite the beer snob, so expect to see some of that!

Fun foodie fact on us both: neither of us eat chocolate (except white chocolate, which isn't really chocolate anyway ) So be prepared for a chocolate-free DR!

About the trip: This trip was truly a very special one indeed - Kevin and I had a Disney Fairytale Wedding and were married at our favorite place in the world (specifically a ceremony in Italy followed by a reception at Atlantic Dance Hall & an Epcot dessert party in France that evening). Following the wedding we stayed at the World (Beach Club Villas) for a few days before getting on the Disney Fantasy for a 7-Night Eastern Caribbean cruise. To say we had the time of our lives in an understatement! If anyone is interested in following that TR, I'll be posting about that whole journey as part of my planning journal, linked in my signature

(Credit to our awesome photographers, The Roots)

Where We Ate

Day 1: October 9th
Food & Wine & Epcot Snacks
Hurricane Hanna's (Beer)

Day 2: October 10th
Crystal Palace
Drinking Around the World
Liberty Inn
Room Service Treats

Day 3: October 11th
Beach Club Marketplace
Crew Cup Lounge
Welcome Party/Rehearsal Dinner at Ariel's (catered by Disney)

Day 4: October 12th - WEDDING DAY!!
Our Disney Wedding Food
Our Illuminations Dessert Party Food

Day 5: October 13th
Beach Club Room Service
Be Our Guest Dinner

Day 6: October 14th
Pizzafari Breakfast
AK Snacks
Sci-Fi Dine In

Day 7: October 15th
Trail's End Breakfast
MK Snacks
Ohana Dinner

Day 8: October 16th
Wedding Cake
Leaky Cauldron
Universal/IOA Snacks
Yachstman Steakhouse

Day 9: October 17th
Food & Wine
Beach Club Marketplace

Day 10: October 18th - Disney Fantasy
Captain's Grille Breakfast
Cabanas Lunch & Flo's Cafe
Animator's Palate

Day 11: October 19th
Cabanas Breakfast
Cabanas Lunch
Mixology Class
Flo's Cafe
Enchanted Garden

Day 12: October 20th
Cabanas Breakfast
Champagne Tasting
Cabanas Lunch
Fantasy Beverages
Royal Court

Day 13: October 21st
Cabanas Breakfast
St. Maarten Snacks
Cabanas Lunch
Pirate Night Dinner

Day 14: October 22nd
Cabanas Lunch
Prince & Princess Dinner

Day 15: October 23rd
Palo Brunch
DCL Room Service
Captain’s Gala Dinner
La Piazza Snacks

Day 16: October 24th
Cabanas Breakfast
Cookies Too
Flo's Cafe
See Ya Real Soon Dinner

Day 17: October 25th
Cabanas Breakfast
Main Street Bakery (Starbucks)
Golden Oak Outpost
Columbia Harbor House

Whoooo boy that's a lot of food. Let's dig in!

 

[rachel09985]

How amazing and fun! Definitely following along

 

[nanhol]

Wow, what a trip! I'm looking forward to hearing all about it!

 

[disneyfav4ever]

Amazing, can't wait to hear about all of it!

 

[starousse]

Can't wait to hear about it.

 

[Avery&Todd]

I'm ready for the food adventure!!!

 

[OasterP]

Sounds great! I can't wait to read about it!

 

[elphie101]

How amazing and fun! Definitely following along

Wow, what a trip! I'm looking forward to hearing all about it!

Amazing, can't wait to hear about all of it!

Can't wait to hear about it.

I'm ready for the food adventure!!!

Sounds great! I can't wait to read about it!

Thanks everybody!! Glad to know some people are along for the ride

 

[Lmans77]

Definitely following! That photo is amazing...you are a beautiful bride!!

 

[mi*vida*loca]

Sounds exciting!

 

[elphie101]

Thursday October 9th

Our flight left early, around 6:00am, so we indulged in our traditional about-to-leave-New-England Dunkin Donuts breakfast. I don't have any photos, but I can assure you my iced coffee and bacon, egg and cheese on an english muffin was edible and of expected quality, considering where it came from

Even though our flight was so early, I did not make it onto Disney property until 1:00pm that day thanks to running off property wedding errands. By the time I got to the Beach Club and we dropped our bags off, I was starving (Kevin had taken the Magical Express ahead and eaten at the Boardwalk Pizza Window, of which he did not document but declared to be delicious).

So here we were at lunch time at Beach Club in October with a ready-to-be-activated annual pass. Which meant only one thing: Food & Wine time!! And being as hungry as I was, there was only one thing I wanted....


From the Canada booth: “Le Cellier” wild mushroom beef filet mignon with truffle butter sauce & Canadian cheddar cheese soup

Now I was pretty famished, so I inhaled this and I definitely loved it. The soup is out of this world!! We visited Le Cellier together back in 2012 a few weeks after it became a Signature restaurant and the experience was so disappointing that I don't want to return any time soon - but I'm glad I can still have this phenomenal soup at events like this. The filet was also cooked very nicely (for Food & Wine), as were the mushrooms - very similar to the filet I used to love (though RIP to the cream cheese mashed potatoes). I also liked the fact that this really did fill me up till dinner. However given that I paid $11.50 for these two morsels of food, I will probably skip the filet on our next go-around - the soup definitely wins.

As big fan's of Easywdw's food reviews, we also had to stop at the Canada beer & popcorn cart for some beverages:


Unibroune Trois Pistoles (for Kevin) and St-Ambroise Apricot Wheat (for me)

We LOVED these beers! Kevin declared his to be one of the best beers he'd ever had. I similarly adored my selection - it was crisp and light and full of flavor, perfect for the hot and humid afternoon and the definition of refreshing. After having a sip of mine Kevin said it was the best fruit beer he had ever had!

I would give the filet a solid 6.5/10 while the soup an 8/10, and a 9/10 for my beer. Kevin (who rates his beers on a beer social media site) gave his beer a 4 1/2 and mine a 4.

We took our beers out to go and strolled around Epcot, exploring the F&W merchandise at the Festival center. Once we were done, Kevin was dying to have more beer and check out the new Craft Beers setup inside the Odyssey Pavilion, so off we went! It was really nice to see what they'd done with the inside.



Kevin got in line and ordered a Shiner Wild Hare Pale Ale.

It was sad to see the size of the beer samples now, especially having just come from the Canada cart. As for this beer, Kevin was not impressed - he called it bland and unexciting and gave it a 3/5. We did receive the provided snack mix but Kevin tossed it in the trash before I could get a picture.

We decided to go back to Beach Club as our room was due to be ready, and walked back to the International Gateway, making one important pit stop on the way:



I had been dying to try the new (is it still new?) ice cream place in France but was never hungry enough on our last trip (too busy stuffing myself with Flower & Garden treats!), but I could definitely go for a refreshing ice cream now. I got the Cinnamon, Caramelized Apple & Crumble Crunch.



Holy freaking crap!! This was like an apple pie in an ice cream cone - but creamy, delicious, and just all around wonderful. We ducked into the bakery real quick so Kevin could use the restroom and found his parents in there enjoying the same exact flavor! All three of us give it an 8.5/10 hands down.

Later that evening we decided to return to Epcot for dinner. I could get used to staying at an Epcot resort! In my quest to eat around the Food & Wine world, I got dinner at the Japan booth then headed to meet Kevin at his previously mentioned favorite, Liberty Inn.


Kevin's chicken nuggets & fries, and Japan's Teriyaki gyoza bun (split open for your viewing pleasure)

I also grabbed some wine from Block & Hans outside to try (aka the booth next to the funnel cake stand in America - I had to look up the name so I wouldn't blame you if you didn't know either )


Robert Mondavi Fume Blanc

The wine tasted like wine. I'll usually seek out a mixed drink or beer before I'll order wine, but I've been looking to expand my palate and figured the Festival was as good a place as any to try that. I'd give this one a 4/10 and I wouldn't get it again - not because it was awful by any means, just that it wasn't my thing.

The teriyaki bun on the other hand was fantastic - the otherwise plain bun exploded with flavor once you tasted the meat inside and I gobbled it up. I really enjoyed the teriyaki flavor they chose to use and the nice mixture of more than just meat inside the bun. A good 7.5/10. As for Kevin's chicken & fries - they haven't changed a bit and that's why he loves them so. He gives them an 8/10.

 

[elphie101]

Definitely following! That photo is amazing...you are a beautiful bride!!

Thank you so much!! You're too sweet

Sounds exciting!

Welcome!! It's so awesome to see people following along!

 

[mzpoirot]

Following! Was the dessert party you went to in Epcot on wedding night the 3D dessert discovery?

 

[tluvstink]

I'm in.......this is going to be fun

Terri

 

[elphie101]

Following! Was the dessert party you went to in Epcot on wedding night the 3D dessert discovery?

Hi there! Nice to see you! Our dessert party was a private wedding event we arranged through Disney, not the kind open to the public.

I'm in.......this is going to be fun

Terri

Yay more followers!! Great to have you!

 

[kastoney]

Subbing in and offering a hearty congratulations. What a great first day of your trip, donuts, beer, filet, beer, soup, beer, ice cream, beer, and Goya and beer. Love the way you all roll. Can't wait to read more.

 

[maiziezoe]

Beautiful picture of the two of you!

I am super excited to see your wedding food pics! I love weddings, food and food reviews!

 

[elphie101]

Subbing in and offering a hearty congratulations. What a great first day of your trip, donuts, beer, filet, beer, soup, beer, ice cream, beer, and Goya and beer. Love the way you all roll. Can't wait to read more.

Hahaha I couldn't help it!! I was actually pretty sick the week before the trip and lost a few pounds due to fever - which gave me the comfort to eat whatever I wanted in the last few days before the wedding!

Beautiful picture of the two of you!

I am super excited to see your wedding food pics! I love weddings, food and food reviews!

Thank you!! I can't wait to get to the wedding day review (which may be a few weeks while I wait for the professional pics )

 

[elphie101]

First of all, I'm sorry about jumping between my reviews out of 10 and Kevin's beer reviews out of 5 - it's just easier to copy his opinions and I like the /10 system better

After our dinner in Epcot, we headed back to Beach Club to meet up with our parents as well as some family members who had just checked in. It was so surreal to see our family members in Disney!



When we got to Hurricane Hanna's my uncle insisted on buying us a drink, so we had a few beers.

Kevin's Sweetwater 420 Extra Pale Ale, which he gave a 5/5. This almost never happens (he usually saves the perfect score for Guinness!) so this must have been one heck of a good beer.


My Yuengling, which I think tastes far better on draft (and in Florida) then it does out of a bottle back home. 5/10

Kevin then followed it up with another Florida beer, Florida Beer Company's Hurricane Reef Caribbean Style Pilsner, which he gave it a 3/5. Pretty basic stuff.

After a little socializing we headed to bed nice - we had quite the day ahead of us tomorrow!

 

[Pfau]

I'm in! Congratulations!