The Dirty Dozen – 12 Days of Disney, Drinks & Dining - Updated 2/26

[luvpoohandcompany]

Way to go Kari on surviving the death trap in the sky
Love Casey’s frushi shirt and earrings but the best surprise of the day has to go to Uncle Matt for showing up! Great photos, brilliant surprise and cute throwback photo to you two as kids in front of the castle. Did you get to watch the wedding that Matt was there to attend? I tried to persuade my daughter and then the next year my niece to get married at Disney but they were having none of it . Ach well I still have 2 sons and several more nieces and nephews to go though I must say we Irish know how to throw a good wedding so maybe we’ll just stay as we are and I’ll holiday at Disney after to recover.

 

[missjackiemcg]

I'm so proud of you for giving the death trap in the sky a try!!! It honestly scares me, too, especially the launch, as I like to call it, and the "landing" back into the station. I am prepared for collision every time...that's totally normal, no?! BUT, I do love how quickly we can get from Pop to DHS and Epcot, so I just suck it up.

Love Casey's frushi shirt and adorable earrings--great selections, Mom! And how awesome you got to see your brother, if only for a quick meet-up. I am LOVING that castle pic with your brother from when you were kids!!! I am always so jealous when people share their throwbacks, as my first trip was at 18, so not nearly as cute to look back on

 

[2xcited2sleep]

I adore the smell of coconut and sunscreen but for that reason cannot drink anything coconutty like a pina colada. Just messes with my head so that beer would definitely be out for me. The frushi shirt is adorable. How awesome to pull of another surprise with your brother. LOVE the photo of you two from back in the day. I really need to work on digitizing some of our vintage pictures. Also agree with you on the skyliner. I love how quickly it gets you to your destination but the possibility of getting stuck up there gives me so much anxiety. Plus I have seen them testing the rescue process if stopped over water and...

 

[Avery&Todd]

SUPER proud of you for riding the Skyliner -I have not tempted it yet as I am also scared of heights..and falling...and being eaten by a crocodile if I fell out over water.....but I do wonder if I should just do it.....ugh

Maybe in November, I'll give it a go??

Your trip looks FABULOUS!!

 

[AliceNDinah]

Awwww, your brother looks like such a fun guy! I also love Casey's shirt and cool earrings. Props to you for braving the Skyliner! We rode it in June and I liked it, it was a good, smooth ride. Keep the good report coming, I just love it

 

[Princess Madeleine]

Little did I know that our boarding number (66, thanks @Princess Madeleine for schooling me) is an unlucky number in the Star Wars universe and unfortunately it lived up to its name. We got held in the line for about 30 minutes and when we finally got moving they walked us through some back stage corridors. We thought the ride was down and we were being led out so we were quite surprised to eventually end up in the interrogation room. Of course we also had zero idea what was happening, but we enjoyed what we did get to see of the ride.

Nooooooooo! I'm so sorry I may have retroactively jinxed you!! Very glad to see the rest of the day went great for y'all though

 

[disneyAndi14]

I love Casey’s shirt, so cute!
I really like the Skyliner now after this past trip, it was so nice and convenient from the Riviera
What good timing to see your brother for a little while!
I could go for some Frushi right now!

 

[StarWarsMomofGirls!]

The anticipation is real.

I love this picture. And I will probably say it a million times, But Casey has grown so much!

I was not happy about this “majority” decision as I’m terrified of heights and swore I’d never set foot on this death trap in the sky.

I am glad you tried it! the take off is the worst part.

This is one of her favorite Epcot snacks and the source of the shirt I’d gifted her that morning.

You should always match your shirt to your food selection!

If you look close you can also see the sushi Mickey earrings I bought for her.

Even Better!

This tasted like sun screen fell into a batch of beer and rolled in some coconut before being bottled. No thank you.

Yuck! But love the description.

The Land exit and little did she know that getting off the ride was…..Mickey Mouse himself

Awsome! Glad you got to see him at least for a little bit.

 

[suse66]

Little did I know that our boarding number (66, thanks @Princess Madeleine for schooling me) is an unlucky number in the Star Wars universe and unfortunately it lived up to its name. We got held in the line for about 30 minutes and when we finally got moving they walked us through some back stage corridors. We thought the ride was down and we were being led out so we were quite surprised to eventually end up in the interrogation room. Of course we also had zero idea what was happening, but we enjoyed what we did get to see of the ride.

That's so weird that you missed all the pre-show. We had the ride break down three times when we were on it and ended up stuck in the stormtroopers area for 1/2 hr. While it's fun, there are major tech issues.

Once in Epcot the year long Flower and Garden festival was of course going on and Casey had one thing on her mind FRUSHI.

I agree with Casey!

From there we headed to future world to ride my favorite - The Land - but first we had one last surprise for Casey. We had her pose for a picture in front of The Land exit and little did she know that getting off the ride was…..Mickey Mouse himself

Love that! Such a great surprise for your girl!

 

[kastoney]

You can never have too much Flower & Garden, family, frushi and Spike!

You seriously made me think for a minute because I had no clue who Spike was. Forgot they'd given him a name

Way to go Kari on surviving the death trap in the sky

Did you get to watch the wedding that Matt was there to attend? I tried to persuade my daughter and then the next year my niece to get married at Disney but they were having none of it .

No but we game this close to crashing it. They didn't have a Disney wedding but got married at the Swan where we were staying. We got back from dinner and were in need of sweets so we figured we'd just duck into the ballroom and see what the wedding could offer us. For reasons I'm still unclear on my brother did not think that was a good idea

Ach well I still have 2 sons and several more nieces and nephews to go though I must say we Irish know how to throw a good wedding so maybe we’ll just stay as we are and I’ll holiday at Disney after to recover.

Something tells me I would love me some Irish wedding. Even if its not Disney I have a sneaking suspicion you'd do it up right.

I'm so proud of you for giving the death trap in the sky a try!!! It honestly scares me, too, especially the launch, as I like to call it, and the "landing" back into the station. I am prepared for collision every time...that's totally normal, no?! BUT, I do love how quickly we can get from Pop to DHS and Epcot, so I just suck it up.

Well then I'm proud of you too. I'm ok on launch but that landing and going around the turns is terrifying. And I of course think it is perfectly rationale to worry about collisions. Oddly that doesn't bother me too much, it is the fear of getting stuck up there that has me more scared than anything. If we ever stop for any length of time I'm afraid that may be my last ride.

Love Casey's frushi shirt and adorable earrings--great selections, Mom!

Thank you very much. These and another set coming up in a few days were my absolutely favorites.

I adore the smell of coconut and sunscreen but for that reason cannot drink anything coconutty like a pina colada.

Then this definitely would not have been the beer for you. I'm good with coconut flavors but not mixed a sun screen taste

How awesome to pull of another surprise with your brother. LOVE the photo of you two from back in the day. I really need to work on digitizing some of our vintage pictures.

Thanks Christine! I need to find some more because that is the only one I have. My Dad has apparently been cataloging lots of old picture yet when I ask him to see some Disney ones he points me to a box of about 2000 pictures. Haven't been that enterprising yet

Plus I have seen them testing the rescue process if stopped over water and...

Now that I could not handle. If I ever saw that my Skyliner days would be far behind me.

SUPER proud of you for riding the Skyliner -I have not tempted it yet as I am also scared of heights..and falling...and being eaten by a crocodile if I fell out over water.....but I do wonder if I should just do it.....ugh

That is a lot of fears going on right there. Perhaps if you try the MGM to Caribbean Beach route that would be a good first try. It's not over water so only 2 out of 3 fears to worry about Not knowing what "high" is to you it really wasn't that bad for me. Ski lifts both me much more.

 

[kastoney]

Awwww, your brother looks like such a fun guy! I also love Casey's shirt and cool earrings. Props to you for braving the Skyliner! We rode it in June and I liked it, it was a good, smooth ride. Keep the good report coming, I just love it

Thank you! My brother is a ton of fun if I do say so myself. Kind of like my husband (in that non-creepy way of course) where they are both over grown children in only the best of ways

Nooooooooo! I'm so sorry I may have retroactively jinxed you!! Very glad to see the rest of the day went great for y'all though

Well at least we know the number being cursed is a real thing. I seriously had no idea but it clearly explains a lot.

I really like the Skyliner now after this past trip, it was so nice and convenient from the Riviera

I'm sure it was. I'm dying to stay at the Riviera. I didn't think I would care for it too much but its whole look and feel is so my aesthetic. Plus Toppolinos and the Skyliner. It's really a wonderful resort.

What good timing to see your brother for a little while!

Yeah we booked the trip knowing he'd be there for a few days. Of course I also thought he'd be spending time with us so screwed that one up royalling. He will join us for a few hours in AK and a lunch, but we got our wires crossed on his availability big time.

I love this picture. And I will probably say it a million times, But Casey has grown so much!

I know. Too much. Her dance teacher has taken to calling her froggie because she's all leg! I haven't even seen a pic of Gwen in so long I'm thinking she may look like a full on grown up at this point

I am glad you tried it! the take off is the worst part.

I didn't ind the take off that much. It's the landing and the whole being up in the air part that got me

Awsome! Glad you got to see him at least for a little bit.

He'll be making a few more appearances but we did not communicate well on his time that would be available to his very demanding sister

That's so weird that you missed all the pre-show. We had the ride break down three times when we were on it and ended up stuck in the stormtroopers area for 1/2 hr. While it's fun, there are major tech issues.

Yeah the technical issues seem to be a huge problem. We hadn't watched any coverage of the ride so we didn't know what we were missing at the time, we just knew something didn't quite seem right. Thankfully we'll get a boarding pass again and can experience it in all its glory.

 

[amazingact21]

The sushi earrings are great!

I agree with you on the Skyliner. Not as bad as it looks, but not something people with a fear of heights would want to go out of their way to hop on.

How fun that you were able to run into your brother at Epcot.

 

[ThreeBoyMama]

The frushi shirt and the earrings are too cute! As a non-lover of heights or enclosed spaces the Skyliner is a hard pass for me but I'm proud of you for conquering it! Also love that you got to see your brother for a bit. I actually recognized him from one of your past dining reports--I think you guys stayed at Jambo that trip--and now I will stop fangirling and go back to watching football

 

[kastoney]

The sushi earrings are great!

I agree with you on the Skyliner. Not as bad as it looks, but not something people with a fear of heights would want to go out of their way to hop on.

Thank you! I was pretty shocked I didn't hate the Skyliner though I do not blame anyone for not riding. My fear of heights is oddly specific where being on a plane doesn't bother me at all but put me in a building ten floors or more up and I'm a basket case.

As a non-lover of heights or enclosed spaces the Skyliner is a hard pass for me but I'm proud of you for conquering it

I do not blame you at all. I swore up and down that I'd never step foot on it but Casey was giving us grief on rides a few times this trip (i.e. she didn't want to ride things she had a hundred times). So we pushed her to get over that and it didn't take too long to put that right back on me

Also love that you got to see your brother for a bit. I actually recognized him from one of your past dining reports--I think you guys stayed at Jambo that trip--and now I will stop fangirling and go back to watching football

Good memory!!!! Yep he'd joined us in February of 2017 when we stayed at AKL and he and Casey shared bunk beds. Now that i think of it he first joined us in January 2013 (I never wrote about that trip) then again this trip so like any good Presidential term apparently he can only take us every four years We are actually planning a Disneyland trip with him for next year and I'm beyond excited to get back there.

 

[kastoney]

Classy to Trashy

Our plan for tonight was to head to Disney Springs for dinner at Wine Bar George but it was raining so hard we decided to scrap those plans and stay in.

We unfortunately couldn’t find any available reservations in the Boardwalk area, so we ended up at Il Mulino in the bar area, which is first come, first serve.

To start Casey selected the Polpette Al Forno aka Meatballs as our appetizer.

These were quite tasty but the consensus was that my meatballs were better than theirs but their sauce reigned supreme. Like any good Italian I took a bit of offense to this but at least I had the superior balls.

To wash our balls down Jason and I shared a bottle of Chianti.

I used my tried and true methodology of selecting the second to cheapest bottle on the menu expecting little but it was decent. We generally find that mediocre Italian wine is much more forgiving than similar American vintages.

For food we all decided to go with their half pasta portions, which ended up being the perfect size Casey just got the Penne with Tomato and Basil Sauce.

Unfortunately my mini food critic was not happy with this. She said the sauce was just too plain. I mean she ordered tomato and basil sauce so I'm not sure what she expected, but she loaded it up with some salt, pepper, and parm and seemed content.

I ordered the Linguine Alle Vongole aka Spicy Red Clam Sauce.

Despite spicy being in the name this didn’t have much spice to it, but it did have a ton of garlic flavor that I loved. My clams were just a bit overcooked, but overall I was pleased.

Last up my fun guy went with their Rigatoni Con Funghi with Wild Mushrooms, Spicy Cherry Peppers, Garlic and Truffle Oil.

Like Casey he thought this needed a bit of salt and felt the truffle flavor too subtle, but he loved the combination of the mushrooms and the spicy peppers. I tried a bite of this as my formerly mushroom hating sister, @CruellaNY, said you couldn’t taste the mushrooms but that was a big ole lie. Vile mushroom flavor was everywhere and I was having none of it.

Overall Il Mulino was a solid meal, especially given that we didn’t need a reservation and it was right downstairs. We are generally pretty picky about our Italian food (my grandmother immigrated from Sicily and Jason owned in Italian restaurant for several years) so for us that is a true compliment. The food was all a little under seasoned for our tastes but definitely hit the proverbial Italian spot.

Nothing on the dessert menu caught our eye so we decided to go in search of sweet provisions elsewhere. This proved to be a fatal error as we could find nothing in the Swan or Dolphin to satisfy our sweet tooth’s. We ended up getting some random candy and had what Jason affectionately deemed trashy snacks.

I don't even remember what I got but Jason went with the very classy combo of Peanut M&Ms and an airline bottle of bourbon he'd smuggled in our suitcase. All washed down of course in the finest of The Swan drink ware.

Upside is the rain kept on coming so we had said trashy snacks on our balcony while enjoying the rain all around us.

This trip we saw more constant rain than we’d ever had in Disney so it messed with our plans on more than one occasion.

But good news is it was great to have a night to just chill and it gave Casey some much needed time to let her creative energy out.

In case you ever doubted that she is 99% Jason’s DNA here is the definitive proof.

Up next, we eat and drink in a Galaxy Far, Far Away​

 

[amazingact21]

We generally find that mediocre Italian wine is much more forgiving than similar American vintages

Agreed. But, in general, I prefer Italian and German wines over Americans one.

Unfortunately my mini food critic was not happy with this. She said the sauce was just too plain.

Again, I agree! I got that same dish when we were there in June, and I thought the sauce was very bland.


Trashy snacks...I love it!

 

[missjackiemcg]

Last up my fun guy went with their Rigatoni Con Funghi

Is that what it's really called!?! I hate those fungus-y little things, so if so, this is hilarious.

I tried a bite of this as my formerly mushroom hating sister, @CruellaNY, said you couldn’t taste the mushrooms but that was a big ole lie. Vile mushroom flavor was everywhere and I was having none of it.

It does look super tasty! I definitely would have tried one of the outer noodles, far away from the mushrooms, LOL

Upside is the rain kept on coming so we had said trashy snacks on our balcony while enjoying the rain all around us.

I do love to sit on the balcony and watch a good Florida storm, but what a bummer that it messed with your plans for the night!

In case you ever doubted that she is 99% Jason’s DNA here is the definitive proof.

I do love a kid who can entertain themselves!!! and everyone around them She's the best!

 

[Wood Nymph]

Overall Il Mulino was a solid meal, especially given that we didn’t need a reservation and it was right downstairs. We are generally pretty picky about our Italian food (my grandmother immigrated from Sicily and Jason owned in Italian restaurant for several years) so for us that is a true compliment. The food was all a little under seasoned for our tastes but definitely hit the proverbial Italian spot.

I think that it is hard to find Italian food that pleases everyone. So many families have their own recipes that are better than anything a restaurant serves. Congrats on winning the meatball contest.

Upside is the rain kept on coming so we had said trashy snacks on our balcony while enjoying the rain all around us.

This is one of the perks of staying in a resort that has everything under one roof, and a balcony, too. It can be fun to watch the rain, but it is more fun to have other options.

 

[AliceNDinah]

LOL, the Casey video is hysterical!! She is adorable.

 

[KathyM2]

How fun that your brother got a surprise visit in!! So much fun!! Those meatballs looked good....I think I would get that with a side of bread lol Too bad no dessert to be found...better luck next time there!!