"SUCK IT UP BUTTERCUP! It Builds Character and Strength!" A July 2011 TR-COMPLETE 4/5

[Disneyfreak616]

Monorail rides are amazing.
I love all of the monorail resorts and their gift shops. I'm loving your "Full House" references too. I just watched the Disney one last night!
Can't wait to see where you eat!

They really are!

Those gift shops are just SO good.

I don't have the Disney one! I only have seasons 1-4! I keep hinting for 5 and 6 for Christmas though. ​

 

[Pixie*Pirate]

Can't wait for more I really enjoy your trip reports!

 

[Disneyfreak616]

Can't wait for more I really enjoy your trip reports!

Aww thank you! I'll try to do another update soon! ​

 

[ronnmel]

I really love the art store at the Polynesian. So many awesome artworks I wish I had enough money to buy!

 

[Disneyfreak616]

I really love the art store at the Polynesian. So many awesome artworks I wish I had enough money to buy!

So do I! It's awesome. If I hit the lottery someday, I'd probably spend a goo chunk of it in that store. ​

 

[sue_88]

I love families that get along and are nice to each other! Points to you for getting your brother a gift!!
I'm another art fan. I love to imagine all that I would purchase if I had the funds and also if I had a really huge house to display them all in. A few years ago (at dtd) I saw a painting that I really really really wanted! I took a pic of it. And I am totally jealous of whoever did buy it. There is some extra magic in Disney art.

 

[Disneyfreak616]

I love families that get along and are nice to each other! Points to you for getting your brother a gift!!
I'm another art fan. I love to imagine all that I would purchase if I had the funds and also if I had a really huge house to display them all in. A few years ago (at dtd) I saw a painting that I really really really wanted! I took a pic of it. And I am totally jealous of whoever did buy it. There is some extra magic in Disney art.

Haha thanks! We used to fight all the time but we've both matured and we're pretty good friends now.

There really is. Disney art is the best. I would love to decorate my house with all of that amazing stuff. It would make it easier to be there and not in Disney. ​

 

[Lifelong_Dreamer]

Hi Kristen, joining in! I've seen your antics over on Jess' report and your title drew me in. Looking forward to more.

 

[Disneyfreak616]

Hi Kristen, joining in! I've seen your antics over on Jess' report and your title drew me in. Looking forward to more.

Thanks for coming! I'm glad you like the title! I can't wait to share the rest! ​

 

[Disneyfreak616]

Chapter 8- Chef Mickey's and My Long-Lost Twin!​

July 25th, 2011​

Hey everyone! Tomorrow my summer officially ends and school starts. I am very upset about this. Good thing I have the DIS to keep me sane. Speaking of the DIS, I thought I'd get one last update in before my life explodes. I'll do another one later in the week though. So here we go!

We checked in for our dinner at...

Chef Mickey's! That was a shock, huh?

We decided to opt out of the corny picture with the fake Mickey Mouse and just wait. We waited about 20 minutes, which wasn't bad considering the waiting area was pretty crowded. I caught up on the trip journal and took in the cool atmosphere of the CR.

We were seated near the buffet and I was given a special set of silverware because we were celebrating my birthday. I hadn't been to Chef Mickey's since I was 11, and it was for breakfast. I was reallyy excited to be back!

I know what you're thinking: how is that special? Well, it's yellow. And everyone else's are navy blue.

Our server was Dan from Orlando, and he was AWESOME. He went out of his way to make our experience great and magical for my birthday.

He brought our drinks. Here's mine:

I love that pomegranate lemonade. It's soo good. Not too sweet but delicious!

Then Dan introduced us to the family at the table next to ours. They were from Alabama and their daughter, whose name was Ashley, was turning 16 too! AND the crazy part was when I said my birthday wasn't that day, they said that Ashley's wasn't either. I asked when hers was and she said June 16th. NO WAY! I told her that was my birthday too and they all proceeded to freak out. They cracked me up. They were all so funny. And they were from Alabama so I loved their southern accents. The mom asked what time I was born and I said 12:15 A.M. Ashley was born in the afternoon, but still! It really is a small world.

After that fun experience, we headed up to the buffet to get some food. We were all STARVING.

Here's my first plate:

From left to right: parmesan mashed potatoes, Mickeyroni and cheese, broccoli, Mickey ravioli, salmon with an Asian glaze and sauteed veggies, and some kind of tortellini pasta salad.

Before I got a chance to eat, though, Goofy stopped by! Dave was still at the buffet so Mike and I each got our own pics.

Goofy was great! I told him that he was Mike's favorite, and he high-fived him and danced (clumsily) around with me to the music that they play. So precious.

Once Dave got back, we all chowed down. Here are their plates:

Dave's

From left to right: some kind of bean salad, Mickey ravioli, broccoli, that beautiful salmon, and prime rib.

Mike's

From left to right: prime rib, parmesan mashed potatoes, some sort of heavily barbecued thing, cornbread, and the salmon from Heaven.

Everything was SO SOOO good! We all agreed that that salmon was the best any of us had ever had. I'm not sure if it was the glaze or WHAT, but it was incredible. Who'd of thunk?

Mike and Dave loved their prime rib and I loved everything on my plate. I stole some of Mike's cornbread and that was great too!

I noticed these in the middle of the table and decided that I wanted one. I just decorated my house on this trip, basically.

There was really weird lighting in that place.

Pretty soon Pluto came by! He was adorable as always.

And then the Big Cheese...or Chef..came by to see how we liked his cooking.

See? Weirdddd lighting. I look like I have a Stacy London streak in my hair.

Minnie came to visit not long after that and she was the best of the evening. She noticed my Mickey Mouse nail (which was my thumb) and started clapping! I told her she had one too and showed her. She LOVED it! She gave me a big hug and then started dancing just like Goofy (with a lot more grace) and I danced with her. It was so fun! She used to be my favorite when I was little and I wish my 6 -year-old self who waited in a sweaty line for an hour and a half just to get her autograph in 2001 could have seen me. I was so excited.

I'm so sad the pic turned out weird. Oh well, you get the point.

We got our second plates, which looked like this:

Dave's

Most of the same stuff, with some noodles and chicken added.

He even ended up going back for thirds after that!

It was just some more prime rib and some salad, though.

Mike's third plate looked like this:

Can you tell we like the salmon? The shirmp was really good too!

And here's mine:

Some really delicious pizza, more salmon (SURPRISE!) and Mickeyroni and green beans.

We stuffed ourselves with all of this goodness and then Dan showed up...with two cupcakes! They were for me and Ashley. He brought Donald over and he helped sing happy birthday to the both of us. Then Donald presented us with our very own pirate hats, which were actually made from the non-birthday napkins! It was soo cute! We had to pose for a pic!

Here's my cupcake! It was very yummy.

Dan said that Donald also had another gift for me, which was one of those fairy cups with the light-up Tinkerbell! I loved it. I still use that cup at home.

Then we got real dessert. Dave got a rice krispie and a an ice cream sundae that he made, which I didn't take a picture of. I know. I'm sorry.

Mike was too full for dessert, so he just helped with my cupcake.

Here's my plate:

Clockwise from the Mickey oreo bon bon: that, some really delish cheesecake, a key lime tart, and carrot cake. Everything was soo good, and that oreo Mickey thing was just as lovely as I expected.

Overview of Chef Mickey's:
Food: 5/5- everything was beyond delicious!
Service: 5/5- Dan was one of the best servers ever, and he really went above and beyond for my birthday!
Atmosphere: 5/5- a little juvenile but that was perfect for me! It was still really clean and I loved all of the colors and the music!
Character Interaction: 5/5- everyone was great and really took their time with us, despite how busy the restaurant was.

First visit? Nope.
Will return? Absolutely!

After dinner we headed up to that chariot in the sky and our adventures continued!

Continued in Next Post​

 

[IheartDDuck]

We decided to opt out of the corny picture with the fake Mickey Mouse and just wait.

Wait.......Mickey is FAKE!? I think my entire world just imploded......



I haven't eaten dinner at Chef Mickey's in I don't know how long. I think I may have to give it a try. I think the last time I ate there was when I was 10. Yup, been a while.

 

[okw19]

What a great dinner!! Everything looks so good especially the salmon!
How funny that you met your birthday twin. I also love your Stacy London streak in that one pic!

 

[Jazzabelle508]

LOVE CHEF MICKEY'S!!!! I love that place. when i was thirteen I chose that place as my "birthday dinner" It wasn't really my birthday but since my birthday is in may (same day as jess's but i'm two years older than her) and that is smack dab in the middle of ISAT/ACT testing, finals prep and end of the year stuff. So we ended up going in june and I chose a day in the vacation as my fake birthday. My friends who were in disney at the same time we were ate with us and it was great! It really is a great birthday place

Anyway about your character dining experience. Love your character pics You look super excited! I love the mickey ravioli!!!! it tastes delicious and I usually get half a plate full of that. That salmon looks good as well. I am eating there in january so i should try some of it. Love the story about minnie's reaction to what your nails looked like. Like how the cupcake had five candles sticking out of it!!!! I love the chef mickey cookies!!!! My mom and I take a mini bag with us and stick some cookies in there. I always try to have some room for dessert no matter what. I love the make you own sundae section. Oh and I always have to have one of the oreo mickey bon bon thing (not sure what to call it lol)

Can't wait to hear more!!!

p.s: good luck with the start of school!

 

[JessicaFaye508]

WOW it sounds like you had a spectacular experience I really really want to go there!
I was sad that I didn't have it for dinner on my upcoming trip... but your statement about the atmosphere being juvenile actually justifies my lack of the meal cuz I don't think my family would love that if the food isn't beyond extraordinary. (I mean.. I would. But like Jonathan's too chill for that kind of stuff ) So aka what I'm getting at is that we'll go here for dinner on OUR next trip - whenever that may be!
And ummm hearing about that salmon makes me REALLY want to go there!! And the Mickey Ravioli and Mickeyroni and Cheese are SO cute! I want to eat them.
And I need to try those mickey domes. They are so incredibly adorable!
Haha that's funny that the girl next to you had the same birthday! So funny. How ironic.
Aww yay that sounds like it was so fun!
and i love the tink cup and story about minnie too!
haha timmy i winnn

 

[princessallie]

I LOVE THAT POMEGRANATE LEMONADE! And the Strawberry. it's just so goooood.

Whoa, twin! Did you look similar? I would have really freaked out and have a parent trap moment. It would have been hard to contain my excitement.

The lighting is really weird! ): I could really go for some Mickey Raviolis right nowwwww.

Haha, I like the holder on the table as well. If they sold it (...do they!?) I probably would have bought on. It my trip journal at somepoint in the future from where I am updating currently, I wrote- "basically, I just want disney cookware in my kitchen. LOL" We're obviously on the save wavelength here.

Aww Minnie's a sweetheart I miss my Disney nails. And all my nails like, broke!!! Except my thumbs. So they're pretty much all short again and gross. -sigh- I'm letting them grow back.

That cupcake looks heavenly. And I love the cup!!!

Can't wait for more!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Vwdiva93]

Ooh Chef Mickey's looks so yummy! That salmon sounds SO good, I love salmon so much. I used to hate it but we eat it like every week in my house so now I love it, go figure.

That picture really does look like you have a Stacy London streak in your hair! And your Minnie interaction sounds so precious, I love when the characters notice the small little things we do to show our love for them!

 

[Lifelong_Dreamer]

Yum yum! I am now crazing parmesan mashed potatoes! Great update, too funny how the table next to yours was also celebrating a birthday that was the same as yours, strange coincidence!

 

[princessallie]

Oh gosh- one more thing!!

I -ed at the "Stacy London" comment. What a lady.

 

[LilAnn]

Loving your updates. Just working on catching up on all the TRs from when we were away. Lucky you that you didn't get any impact from the hurricane much during vacation. We ended up having to extend our vacation (bummer, huh?) while we were down there due to cancelled flights. I guess there are worse things than being in stuck in Florida and getting another Disney day out of it.

I love all of your photos. Some of the scenic shots have a nice "old-timey" feel to it. Nostalgic. Nice.

 

[PirateKate]

Riding the Monorail is a fun way to start at trip. Chef Mickey's looks like it was a lot of fun, too. I've always heard the food is average, but I kind of want to try the salmon, now.