Surprise Solo Weekend Adventure Time!: An April 2015 PTR - COMPLETED 4/27!

[SarahDisney]

Like everyone else ... I'd say go booths. Take advantage of being there during F&W! Plus, with so little time at Epcot, you don't want to waste a big chunk of that on an ADR!

 

[hokieinpa]

Food booths for sure! Like you said, you don't know when, or if, you'll be back for Flower & Garden. And please, try the frushi and review it! Or the pineapple dog. Or the Grand Marnier ice pop, or the blueberry and lemon curd tart. Can't wait to hear all about it!

And yay for spreadsheets!

 

[Elevationist]

Definitely the grazing at the booths, IMNSHO. You say you never travel this time of year, and tutto italia is there year-round. Besides, with the smaller portions, you get to try more things.

Oh I side completely with you on this: hit up the food booths!!!!!!!! You can get that ADR at some other time in the future, but you may not return to another F&G for a very long time... if at all! Food booths all the way!

Like everyone else ... I'd say go booths. Take advantage of being there during F&W! Plus, with so little time at Epcot, you don't want to waste a big chunk of that on an ADR!

Food booths for sure! Like you said, you don't know when, or if, you'll be back for Flower & Garden. And please, try the frushi and review it! Or the pineapple dog. Or the Grand Marnier ice pop, or the blueberry and lemon curd tart. Can't wait to hear all about it!

And yay for spreadsheets!

Okay, okay! I'll cancel the ADR! Way to gang up on me, ya'll!

Of course I'm kidding. I really appreciate all ya'll and your advice!

So... with that decision made, we come to our next big challenge... Choosing WHAT to have from those glorious food booths! I've been going through the menus and photos at DisneyFoodBlog.com tonight, and maaaaan...

I'm in BIG trouble. So many delicious-looking noms and sips!

Either later tonight or tomorrow, I'll do an update posting my "Wish List" from the booths, because I'm definitely going to need ya'lls help paring it down! So far I managed to narrow my short list to just 9 booths (just 9!) and if I got EVERYTHING I want to try... $164 bucks. Good lawd. That's just ridonkulous!

Important life decisions forthcoming.

 

[Elevationist]

22 days until WDW!
**************************************************

Hey, ya'll!

Okay, so here it is... The ridiculously huge "short list" of things I'm dying to try at the Flower & Garden Festival. This is one of the few drawbacks of traveling solo... When you do this kind of thing with other people, you can all get something different and sample from each other's plates. As a solo, it's all me. So I got some tough decisions to make.

Here we go...

BOTANAS BOTANICA (Total: $18.75)

Seafood Ceviche — Shrimp, Scallops, and Grouper with Mango and Avocado ($5.25)

Coconut Tres Leches ($3.75)

La Tizana - with Santa Teresa RHUM Orange Liqueur ($9.75)

PINEAPPLE PROMENADE (Total: $21.75)

Pineapple Soft Serve - with Parrot Bay Coconut Rum ($8.75)

Frozen Desert Violet Lemonade ($3.00)

Ace Pineapple Hard Cider ($3.75)

Sparkling Pineapple Wine ($6.25)
- No Photo



FLEUR DE LYS (Total: $26.70)

Confit de Canard, Pommes de Terre Sarladaise – Pulled Duck Confit with Garlic and Parsley Potatoes ($5.50)

Macaron Guimauve à la Fraise - A Strawberry Marshmallow Macaron ($4.50)

Ice Pop - Combination of French Peach Iced Tea, Grand Marnier Peach Raspberry Liqueur, and Vodka ($6.75)

La Vie en Rose Frozen Slush – Vodka, Grey Goose Orange, St. Germain Liquor, and White and Red Cranberry Juice ($9.95)

TASTE OF MARRAKESH (Total: $15.00)

Harissa Chicken Kebab - with Sweet Couscous Salad ($5.00)

Pistachio Baklava ($3.00)

Desert Rose — Sparkling Wine with Pomegranate Liqueur ($7.00)
- No Photo



HANAMI (Total: $23.25)

Frushi – Fresh pineapple, strawberries and melon, rolled with coconut rice, topped with raspberry sauce, sprinkled with toasted coconut and served with whipped cream on the side ($4.95)

Teriyaki Curry Bun — Steamed bun filled with chicken, vegetables, curry and sweet sauce ($4.95)

Strawberry Nigori ($6.95)

Yuzu Plum Wine Slush ($6.50)
- No Photo



THE SMOKEHOUSE (Total: $4.00)

“Piggylicious” Bacon Cupcake - with Maple Frosting and Pretzel Crunch, featuring Nueske’s Applewood Smoked Bacon ($4.00)

PRIMAVERA KITCHEN (Total: $20.75)

Fior di Latte, Prosciutto e Pane di Casa — Pinwheel of Mozzarella, Prosciutto, Ciabatta Bread ($5.75)

Limoncello Panna Cotta — Lemon custard, limoncello liqueur, raspberries ($5.00)

Strawberry Rossini – sparkling wine and marinated strawberries ($10.00)
- No Photo



JARDIN DE FIESTAS (Total: $12.95)

Flan de Queso con Chocolate Abuelita – Mexican Chocolate Custard with Whipped Cream and Cinnamon ($4.20)

Blueberry Pomegranate Margarita on the Rocks ($8.75)

FLORIDA FRESH (Total: $20.75)

Florida Blueberry and Lemon Curd Tart ($3.75)

Watermelon Passion Fruit Slush - with Tamiami Florida Gin ($9.75)

Key Lime Sparkling Wine ($7.25)

INSANE OUT-OF-CONTROL GRAND TOTAL: $163.90

Now obviously even MY enormous and cavernous stomach can't handle that much food & drink in a matter of only 3 hours or so. My favorite foods are savory things, so I'm pretty set on all the "entree" style items I've chosen (of which there are five), and don't want to cut any of those. What I really need to narrow down to two or three each are the desserts and beverages.

But there's just SO MANY WONDERFUL CHOICES.

Have any of you tried any of the desserts or drinks on this list? Another thing I'm looking at is what seems like the best value for the money. And I know cutting out most of the drinks that cost around $10.00 will make a huge difference... Hmm.

And yes, obviously I could narrow this down on my own eventually... BUT I LIKE TO TALK ABOUT / LOOK AT FOOD, OKAY? Don't judge me!

 

[Tracy161]

Ahhh, this is SO hard! I'm in a similar boat as you: since I'm arriving in the afternoon of F&G's final day scared1, I have very limited time with the outdoor kitchens myself! Although, unlike you, my sweet tooth is bigger and I'm opting for a lot of the desserts rather than savory items While I haven't had it myself, I've heard rave reviews of the Violet Lemonade.

Two things I plan to bring for my limited time: a big appetite (won't be hard for me as I, too, LOVE food!) and a bigger wallet (this is where things get problematic)

 

[Chicago Mo]

wow. Some of that does sound AMAZING! YUM! i would skip the mozz swirl You can buy that at Jewel- it's all the same LOL!

you have 22 days to save?!?! Yikes!

 

[squeegee]

22 days until WDW!
**************************************************

Hey, ya'll!

Okay, so here it is... The ridiculously huge "short list" of things I'm dying to try at the Flower & Garden Festival. This is one of the few drawbacks of traveling solo... When you do this kind of thing with other people, you can all get something different and sample from each other's plates. As a solo, it's all me. So I got some tough decisions to make.

Here we go...

BOTANAS BOTANICA (Total: $18.75)

Seafood Ceviche — Shrimp, Scallops, and Grouper with Mango and Avocado ($5.25)

Coconut Tres Leches ($3.75)

La Tizana - with Santa Teresa RHUM Orange Liqueur ($9.75)

PINEAPPLE PROMENADE (Total: $21.75)

Pineapple Soft Serve - with Parrot Bay Coconut Rum ($8.75)

Frozen Desert Violet Lemonade ($3.00)

Ace Pineapple Hard Cider ($3.75)

Sparkling Pineapple Wine ($6.25)
- No Photo



FLEUR DE LYS (Total: $26.70)

Confit de Canard, Pommes de Terre Sarladaise – Pulled Duck Confit with Garlic and Parsley Potatoes ($5.50)

Macaron Guimauve à la Fraise - A Strawberry Marshmallow Macaron ($4.50)

Ice Pop - Combination of French Peach Iced Tea, Grand Marnier Peach Raspberry Liqueur, and Vodka ($6.75)

La Vie en Rose Frozen Slush – Vodka, Grey Goose Orange, St. Germain Liquor, and White and Red Cranberry Juice ($9.95)

TASTE OF MARRAKESH (Total: $15.00)

Harissa Chicken Kebab - with Sweet Couscous Salad ($5.00)

Pistachio Baklava ($3.00)

Desert Rose — Sparkling Wine with Pomegranate Liqueur ($7.00)
- No Photo



HANAMI (Total: $23.25)

Frushi – Fresh pineapple, strawberries and melon, rolled with coconut rice, topped with raspberry sauce, sprinkled with toasted coconut and served with whipped cream on the side ($4.95)

Teriyaki Curry Bun — Steamed bun filled with chicken, vegetables, curry and sweet sauce ($4.95)

Strawberry Nigori ($6.95)

Yuzu Plum Wine Slush ($6.50)
- No Photo



THE SMOKEHOUSE (Total: $4.00)

“Piggylicious” Bacon Cupcake - with Maple Frosting and Pretzel Crunch, featuring Nueske’s Applewood Smoked Bacon ($4.00)

PRIMAVERA KITCHEN (Total: $20.75)

Fior di Latte, Prosciutto e Pane di Casa — Pinwheel of Mozzarella, Prosciutto, Ciabatta Bread ($5.75)

Limoncello Panna Cotta — Lemon custard, limoncello liqueur, raspberries ($5.00)

Strawberry Rossini – sparkling wine and marinated strawberries ($10.00)
- No Photo



JARDIN DE FIESTAS (Total: $12.95)

Flan de Queso con Chocolate Abuelita – Mexican Chocolate Custard with Whipped Cream and Cinnamon ($4.20)

Blueberry Pomegranate Margarita on the Rocks ($8.75)

FLORIDA FRESH (Total: $20.75)

Florida Blueberry and Lemon Curd Tart ($3.75)

Watermelon Passion Fruit Slush - with Tamiami Florida Gin ($9.75)

Key Lime Sparkling Wine ($7.25)

INSANE OUT-OF-CONTROL GRAND TOTAL: $163.90

Now obviously even MY enormous and cavernous stomach can't handle that much food & drink in a matter of only 3 hours or so. My favorite foods are savory things, so I'm pretty set on all the "entree" style items I've chosen (of which there are five), and don't want to cut any of those. What I really need to narrow down to two or three each are the desserts and beverages.

But there's just SO MANY WONDERFUL CHOICES.

Have any of you tried any of the desserts or drinks on this list? Another thing I'm looking at is what seems like the best value for the money. And I know cutting out most of the drinks that cost around $10.00 will make a huge difference... Hmm.

And yes, obviously I could narrow this down on my own eventually... BUT I LIKE TO TALK ABOUT / LOOK AT FOOD, OKAY? Don't judge me!

Let's see - soooo many hard choices. I'd knock off the list anything I could conceivably get at home, or easily make myself - so if the pineapple cider or some of the sparkling wines are national brands, I'd save my tummy space there. Id keep one of the frozen drinks (eeny-menu-miney-mo), and the ice pop, even though I haven't read a good review of it. I know That josh on easywdw has pretty thorough reviews on the drinks, which could help narrow those down.

As for the desserts - baklava can be had year-round at the morocco pavilion, so I'd probably scrap that one, and I love coconut but not tres leches (too soggy). I'd keep the chocolate flan and the other custard - I hate making custard stuff at home. I'd keep the blueberry tart, too.

Mostly, I'd just wait till I got there and see what smelled good. and I'd come home 10 pounds heavier. LOL.

 

[*tinker*bell*]

So many delicious looking items! I know for me Frushi is a must have, probably will be the first thing I eat while there. The Watermelon Passion Fruit Slush and Strawberry Nigori would also be on my must have list. Excited to see how it pans out and what all you eat

 

[Elevationist]

Ahhh, this is SO hard! I'm in a similar boat as you: since I'm arriving in the afternoon of F&G's final day scared1, I have very limited time with the outdoor kitchens myself! Although, unlike you, my sweet tooth is bigger and I'm opting for a lot of the desserts rather than savory items While I haven't had it myself, I've heard rave reviews of the Violet Lemonade.

Two things I plan to bring for my limited time: a big appetite (won't be hard for me as I, too, LOVE food!) and a bigger wallet (this is where things get problematic)

I think I might be cutting the Violet Lemonade, actually. I only even want it because everybody says it's amazing... but nobody says why!

And I always have a big appetite... But a bigger wallet? That never happens.

wow. Some of that does sound AMAZING! YUM! i would skip the mozz swirl You can buy that at Jewel- it's all the same LOL!

you have 22 days to save?!?! Yikes!

I had to look up what Jewel is, we don't have those here! But you're still right... After looking and thinking about it more, I think I'm going to skip the Italy booth completely. Tough choices, maaaan!

I'll be okay for the savings, I think. I've got some extra money coming in sometime next week. I'm planning on heading down there with $300 in my pocket, which should be plenty. Anything I don't spend will go back in the fund for my December trip.

Let's see - soooo many hard choices. I'd knock off the list anything I could conceivably get at home, or easily make myself - so if the pineapple cider or some of the sparkling wines are national brands, I'd save my tummy space there. Id keep one of the frozen drinks (eeny-menu-miney-mo), and the ice pop, even though I haven't read a good review of it. I know That josh on easywdw has pretty thorough reviews on the drinks, which could help narrow those down.

As for the desserts - baklava can be had year-round at the morocco pavilion, so I'd probably scrap that one, and I love coconut but not tres leches (too soggy). I'd keep the chocolate flan and the other custard - I hate making custard stuff at home. I'd keep the blueberry tart, too.

Mostly, I'd just wait till I got there and see what smelled good. and I'd come home 10 pounds heavier. LOL.

Girl, you ain't kidding... I gained 11 pounds on my September trip to F&W!

You make some VERY good points, too! I think you're right about the baklava and the wines, etc. Try to stick to things I might never ever have again. Hmmm...

So many delicious looking items! I know for me Frushi is a must have, probably will be the first thing I eat while there. The Watermelon Passion Fruit Slush and Strawberry Nigori would also be on my must have list. Excited to see how it pans out and what all you eat

Yeah, I'm pretty set on the frushi, it's a must-have. I'm on the fence about the strawberry nigori, though. I am leaning towards sticking with the Watermelon Slush, though! Yum!

 

[hokieinpa]

If I was going to pick desserts I would go with the blueberry and lemon curd tart. That looks amazing!

The watermelon slush also looks really pretty - nice and refreshing!

And technically, the dole whip with rum could count as both a dessert and frozen beverage! How could that be bad? But do they have this version somewhere at AK now? I would skip that since you can get it in December if you want to try it.

So many hard choices!

 

[Elevationist]

If I was going to pick desserts I would go with the blueberry and lemon curd tart. That looks amazing!

The watermelon slush also looks really pretty - nice and refreshing!

And technically, the dole whip with rum could count as both a dessert and frozen beverage! How could that be bad? But do they have this version somewhere at AK now? I would skip that since you can get it in December if you want to try it.

So many hard choices!

I've decided that the chocolate custard is a definite. I think the watermelon slush is, too. Still on the fence about the tart. And I'd heard that the rummy Dole Whip is no longer at Animal Kingdom? Or maybe I'm wrong? I might have to do a little more research on this one...

 

[Elevationist]

21 days until WDW!
**************************************************

Hey, ya'll!

Today was insaaaaane at work. The announcement about those discounted Disney World No-Expiration park hoppers went out on Facebook and via email announcement today, and we got overrun with calls and walk-ins. And we're only a 3-person staff to begin with, and my new co-worker called out sick. It was so nuts that my boss actually bought me lunch AND dinner to thank me for my hard work. Neither of us even left the office until well after 7pm.

Between the Disney ticket clearance and Spring break, we're expecting the next 2-3 weeks to be every bit as non-stop. My boss and I are also concerned that my new co-worker may not still be with us come April 17th (when this trip is scheduled for). She's only been with us three weeks, but she doesn't seem very happy, and we know she's applying for other jobs. I'm pretty scared, because if she quits, guess who is going to have to cancel her trip and stay home and run the office on Saturday, April 18th? You guessed it. This girl.

If she at least quits before April 11th, I can get all of my money back for the room, and all I'll have to contend with is a broken heart. But if she quits on us AFTER that date, then I'll lose my $120 deposit, plus the $15 registration fee for the ship inspection of the Disney Magic. That's $135 bucks completely down the drain that I really could use for my December trip. So needless to say, I'm stressing a little, and will be until April 17th...

So! With all that being said, I'm just praying a lot that it all works out, and trying to stay positive! Part of that is soldiering on as if none of this is a concern at all, and letting my planning madness continue on uninterrupted! Which reminds me. I logged into my MDE account today, and saw this delightful sight...

Yaaaaaay! I wasn't sure if I would be able to get it customized and shipped to me, since I only booked 25 days prior to check-in. THIS was a pleasant surprise! I picked yellow, since they still don't have purple, and I did my favorite color PINK on my September trip. (I gotta collect them all, you know!)

I've been looking over my insane F&G wishlist, considering and re-considering, reading all of ya'lls comments and helpful advice (keep it coming, folks!), and just generally thinking deep thoughts... Way more deep than one should ever think about their LUNCH. Yep, my priorities are totally in order for sure. But the good news is that I'm thinking I'll have a finalized selection list this weekend! Hooray!

Another thing I'll be doing this weekend is trying to catch up on all ya'lls PTRs and TRs! (I'm awful, I know!)

Hope you all have a great weekend!

 

[Wood Nymph]

Hi Billie -
I just noticed that you have a last minute trip planned to WDW - how exciting. We scheduled a last minute trip with 28 days notice and it all worked out great. I hope your co-worker doesn't quit until after your trip.

We'll be there that same weekend that you will be. We'll stop and say hi if you see you at Epcot. Right now our plans our fast passes in the morning, lunch at San Angel - a new one for us, and hopefully catch the concert that night.

La Vie en Rose Frozen Slush – Vodka, Grey Goose Orange, St. Germain Liquor, and White and Red Cranberry Juice ($9.95)

Of all the foods on your list, this is the only one that I've had before. I love this drink . I ended up having more than one of these last year.

There are a few items in your list that I want to try, like the duck and the frushi. And I want to try the seafood creviche. It looks amazing.

 

[wellesleyprincess]

I stop reading trip reports for a week because of a paper and I totally miss this! OMG!!! I'm so excited for you.

I'm still thinking about Tutto for my October trip, so I'm looking forward to your review. (even if I am a vegetarian v. a carnivore)

I also agree they really need to add purple magic bands. We should start a petition or something!

 

[hokieinpa]

Fingers crossed everything works out and your trip is still a go! And how awesome that you're going to get your band - I had yellow for our last trip. I'm thinking green or pink next trip!

 

[SarahDisney]

I'm a little behind ... oops.

I'm definitely the worst person to ask about food (if it has chocolate, I'll eat it ... if not, I don't really care). But it looks like you've got a lot of good choices and should have some great food, no matter what you choose.

3 weeks to go! I hope your coworker sticks around until after the trip and you actually get to go. Hopefully even if she does quit she'll give you two weeks notice and you'll have enough time to cancel the room.

 

[Chicago Mo]

YAY Magic Bands!!! Yellow is pretty and like you i wish they had purple.

I had to look up what Jewel is, we don't have those here!

No kidding! I thought the grocery store was EVERYWHERE!!! Sorry!

Anything I don't spend will go back in the fund for my December trip.

I do hope this all works out for you. I hope she sticks around!!! or at least you get your MONEY BACK!!!!

 

[cinderkelly]

Ok, holy wowzers, haven't read up yet but can I just say Yea!!!!!!!!!

 

[cinderkelly]

Ok, all caught up! I'll be sending good vibes your way that your co-worker doesn't flake before your trip. I absolutely hate having to depend on other people for my things to pan out. Too much stress!

On a happier note all your food pics look amazing!!!!!! I'd love to go during F&G someday. I'm a big flower photo geek, and the awesome food to boot is craziness! How can you possibly choose between all that yumminess!!

I'm also in the " must have purple MB" voting group! I had yellow when we went last September and dolled it up with Winnie the Pooh temporary tattoos and bumble bees, so cute!

Your gifs had me rolling! Thanks for the good belly laugh!

 

[Elevationist]

Hi Billie -
I just noticed that you have a last minute trip planned to WDW - how exciting. We scheduled a last minute trip with 28 days notice and it all worked out great. I hope your co-worker doesn't quit until after your trip.

We'll be there that same weekend that you will be. We'll stop and say hi if you see you at Epcot. Right now our plans our fast passes in the morning, lunch at San Angel - a new one for us, and hopefully catch the concert that night.

Of all the foods on your list, this is the only one that I've had before. I love this drink . I ended up having more than one of these last year.

There are a few items in your list that I want to try, like the duck and the frushi. And I want to try the seafood creviche. It looks amazing.

Hi, Sue! I'm so glad you found this thread! And yes, everything will work out great for this trip, as long as my co-worker sticks around long enough. She told me yesterday that me she's thinking about putting in her notice, so I begged her to make it so her last day is April 18th. She said she would, but... we'll see what happens. But if it DOES all work out, and you DO spot me at Epcot (I'll be the big brunette on the Buena Vista scooter, wearing my tiara and always with something to eat or drink in my hand) then definitely do please stop and say hello!

I stop reading trip reports for a week because of a paper and I totally miss this! OMG!!! I'm so excited for you.

I'm still thinking about Tutto for my October trip, so I'm looking forward to your review. (even if I am a vegetarian v. a carnivore)

I also agree they really need to add purple magic bands. We should start a petition or something!

Yay, you found me here, Wellesley! I actually went ahead and cancelled Tutto, in favor of gorging myself at Food & Wine booths.

Fingers crossed everything works out and your trip is still a go! And how awesome that you're going to get your band - I had yellow for our last trip. I'm thinking green or pink next trip!

I have red picked out for the December trip, for Christmas!

I'm a little behind ... oops.

I'm definitely the worst person to ask about food (if it has chocolate, I'll eat it ... if not, I don't really care). But it looks like you've got a lot of good choices and should have some great food, no matter what you choose.

3 weeks to go! I hope your coworker sticks around until after the trip and you actually get to go. Hopefully even if she does quit she'll give you two weeks notice and you'll have enough time to cancel the room.

We're getting closer and closer to the two-weeks-notice mark. She's assured me she'll stay at least through the 18th so I can go on this trip, but now she's at home with a 1-year-old with pneumonia, so I'm concerned she's just going to say "eff it" and not come back at all.

YAY Magic Bands!!! Yellow is pretty and like you i wish they had purple.

No kidding! I thought the grocery store was EVERYWHERE!!! Sorry!

I do hope this all works out for you. I hope she sticks around!!! or at least you get your MONEY BACK!!!!

We really DO need to start a purple MagicBand petition! And as nice as it would be to have the money back for the December trip, I would rather her just stay. I am so excited for this little weekend getaway, and I'll be so bummed if it doesn't work out.

Ok, all caught up! I'll be sending good vibes your way that your co-worker doesn't flake before your trip. I absolutely hate having to depend on other people for my things to pan out. Too much stress!

On a happier note all your food pics look amazing!!!!!! I'd love to go during F&G someday. I'm a big flower photo geek, and the awesome food to boot is craziness! How can you possibly choose between all that yumminess!!

I'm also in the " must have purple MB" voting group! I had yellow when we went last September and dolled it up with Winnie the Pooh temporary tattoos and bumble bees, so cute!

Your gifs had me rolling! Thanks for the good belly laugh!

I agree about it being too much stress! GRR! I'm on the verge of an anxiety attack over this, and I'm somebody who is usually cool as a cucumber. I whole-hearted believe in "Don't sweat the small stuff, and it's ALL small stuff." But this trip potentially getting canned is sending my stress levels through the roof. And hooray for another vote for purple MBs! Disney HAS to listen as some point, don't they?! And glad you liked my gif-filled post! They really do help to tell a story, don't they?