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

[luvpoohandcompany]

Good lord it was bunged at MK ! How long did you hold your breath for before realising it was hopeless?. Glad you all stayed safe but I’m sure it made you a eee but uncomfortable to be in such a crowd.
Casey looks gorgeous in her Orange Bird outfit and I love Jason’s tee shirt. Sounds like a successful snacking day and even better that your brother did the Gideon’s queue for you. Nothing quite like cookies too show you some brotherly love

 

[disneyAndi14]

I love Casey’s ears and shirt, so cute!
We experienced the ugly rope drop at Epcot and I have to say it was so much better when they let everyone in as soon as you got there.
I am team Dolewhip all the way, I have tried the citrus swirl once and I liked it but not enough to get again.

We love the Gideon’s cookies, the pistachio toffee is my favorite. I haven’t tried the coffee cake yet, hopefully in December!

 

[ncc1701]

Needing some salty to help balance the sweet we also chowed down on some popcorn.

My brain understands this is just the same popcorn they sell in the grocery store sold at a 1000% mark up. But my heart will always say popcorn just tastes better in Disney.

I agree 100% . One of our must do's on any trip is a Popcorn in one of the Parks.And sometimes 2.

 

[amazingact21]

Holy crowds! Definitely a complete difference from the other MK morning you had.

I don't think I've ever had a citrus swirl, but I feel like I'm with you and am on team Dolewhip. There's nothing like that tart pineapple taste on a hot park day.

The coffee cake and pistachio cookie from Gideon's are amazing. Glad you were able to try them out and see that they lived up to the hype!

 

[CruellaNY]

But we were in our own private room.

They know better than to sit you around other people as those people are bound to be significantly underdressed/wrapped in sheets or tablecloths. Best way to avoid this? Don't sit the Stones near other patrons

While this was tough on the wallet, it was delicious. Ketel one cucumber and mint vodka, lychee liqueur, watermelon juice, yuzu, simple syrup, and fresh time

Ooh that sounds good! I've only had the sangria and wine there.

Cory Meets World, and were on his stream.

Ah so as you know form @buzzrelly's love for Molly, I do not know who this person is nor have I watched his work. I do know who Ben Savage is from Boy Meets World though so I'm not totally unhip and am totally up on the times.......................

Between being held and the mine train line we ended up waiting 75 minutes. We would have been much better off just getting in line later in the day.

We learned this a few years ago; not the best to RD 7D. It's just a ridiculous mad rush and foot stepping debacle and I rather wait 50 minutes later in the day.

My brain understands this is just the same popcorn they sell in the grocery store sold at a 1000% mark up. But my heart will always say popcorn just tastes better in Disney.

Seriously other than the movies I only eat popcorn in Disney!

Behold the Gideons cookie. And let me just tell ya the hype is real.

OMG YES I refuse to wait in a long line or get in a VQ for cookies but when Jenny was kind enough to get one for us I was not disappointed!

 

[missjackiemcg]

First up Casey posed with the inspiration for her outfit today.

Adorable as ever! I love those ears! They look store bought instead of hand-made! Do you remember which shop you got them from?

Oh, yummm!!!!!

These cookies are somehow cooked but still taste like cookie dough, which to be clear is the best part of making cookies.

Oh, that's amazing!! Exactly how I was imagining they'd taste, but hadn't heard anyone describe them this way. Definitely on our list for December....hoping to get someone else to wait for them though LOL

 

[kastoney]

YIKES!!!! I know the first time we have this happen to us, I may have a mini panic attack. But it is bound to happen.

We were definitely having panic attacks, especially Casey. We were masked up but still quite disconcerting. I hadn't even seen that number of people cumulatively in over a year, let alone being squished with that many all at once

YUM!!! Can't wait to get some of these. Hopefully.

You are gonna love it!

Yikes!!!! Yeah...they seem to have moved on from the pandemic in FL....just looking at this pic gives me anxiety...ugh....

This was probably the worse moment of our trip. We just avoided park opening after that. And it was only a few weeks later that the delta variant began raging in Florida. Clearly this wasn't helping

This is so true!! I guess it's because to get Disney popcorn you have to be AT Disney...so..there's that...

Very true. It's only good if you are there!

OMG! Joe and I say this all the time!!!!!

Poor Casey has zero idea what current music even is. Between our love of Yacht Rock, 70's/80's music, and Margaritaville she gonna get to high school and want to talk about her love for Jimmy Buffet, Culture Club and Steely Dan and I can only imagine the looks she'll get. Of course I think it is nothing short of awesome.

These are so delicious but Joe and I are only able to eat a bite at a time.

You and Joe have much more restraint than the family stone. I pulled the one we had left out of the freezer yesterday and 3/4 of it is gone.

I cannot wait to see you in a few weeks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Me too!!!! We are all ready to spend quality time with our favorites ❤

Still haven’t gotten here…definitely a priority in December!

You better make it a priority or I'm gonna disown you

They truly are the best! But their red velvet cake is even better!

Oh you have peaked my interest. I still haven't been inside to see what all they have. Matthew got our first match and Jason the 2nd (while Casey got some henna done) so I've yet to get beyond the cookies

Wow - that is a huge line. 75minutes is a really long wait. We had that happen at Flight of Passage in AK. We got in the huge early opening line, and it ended up taking at least 75 minutes to get through it. By the time we were finished the wait time was about 15 minutes shorter.

This was definitely a lesson learned for us. This was our first trip sans fast pass and Casey really wanted to ride Mine Train. Now we know

That was really nice of your brother to pick up Gideon's cookies. The long line makes it big task.

It was. He was flying out that day and had no park plans so he had gotten to Disney Springs before they even opened. I don't think he had to wait very long thankfully. And can you believe he didn't even get one for himself

 

[kastoney]

Good lord it was bunged at MK !

Oh it's one of my favorite games. Guess that new Irish word. Bunged = Ridiculously insanely crowded and being held in a pen like sheep in the middle of a pandemic

How long did you hold your breath for before realising it was hopeless?. Glad you all stayed safe but I’m sure it made you a eee but uncomfortable to be in such a crowd.

It really was terrible and we were some of the only people with masks on. We contemplated actually leaving at one point but figured exposing ourselves to navigating through the crowd may have been worse than just staying by the same people the whole time

Sounds like a successful snacking day and even better that your brother did the Gideon’s queue for you. Nothing quite like cookies too show you some brotherly love

It was definitely very brotherly of him to pick up the cookies for us. Though he knew I was mad at him for spending such little time with us so it was the least he could do.

I don't know why I didn't include this in our last update but the wedding he was there for was actually at the Swan where we were staying. When we got back from Morimoto the night prior our sweet tooths were raging and Jason and I decided we were going to go all Wedding Crashers on them so we could partake of the wedding cake. I thought this sounded like a fabulous idea, but my brother not so much because the wedding was so small. So the cookies were his way of making it up to us

I love Casey’s ears and shirt, so cute!

Thanks! These were my favorite of the trip. If I can ever stand ears for more than 5 minutes on my gargantuan head then these will be my first choice.

We experienced the ugly rope drop at Epcot and I have to say it was so much better when they let everyone in as soon as you got there.

I really don't understand why they didn't keep that up. Just let people wander where they may. Pretty sure it will be just fine

We love the Gideon’s cookies, the pistachio toffee is my favorite. I haven’t tried the coffee cake yet, hopefully in December!

The pistachio was a very close second for me. Loved the toffee in it especially. I make a toffee dessert for Christmas every year as its one of my favorite flavors

I agree 100% . One of our must do's on any trip is a Popcorn in one of the Parks.And sometimes 2.

We so got our money's worth at the Boo Bash in popcorn alone.

 

[kastoney]

I don't think I've ever had a citrus swirl, but I feel like I'm with you and am on team Dolewhip. There's nothing like that tart pineapple taste on a hot park day.

Go Team Dole Whip!!!! Really can't beat that tartness. I don't love sweet all the time, but give me tart all day and twice on Sundays

The coffee cake and pistachio cookie from Gideon's are amazing. Glad you were able to try them out and see that they lived up to the hype!

Glad to see that our shared good taste extends from Dole Whip to cookies

They know better than to sit you around other people as those people are bound to be significantly underdressed/wrapped in sheets or tablecloths. Best way to avoid this? Don't sit the Stones near other patrons

But seriously though have you ever seen anyone get more strange patrons around them than us If we could just have our own private dining room every night that would be just fine.

Ah so as you know form @buzzrelly's love for Molly, I do not know who this person is nor have I watched his work. I do know who Ben Savage is from Boy Meets World though so I'm not totally unhip and am totally up on the times.......................

You and me both are leading the unhip parade. Though you would totally hate this guy. Pretty sure you'd hate any you tuber that you weren't legally mandated to be friends with But we found him during our Disney pandemic drought so it was so nice to have some Disney come into our house a few times a week.

We learned this a few years ago; not the best to RD 7D. It's just a ridiculous mad rush and foot stepping debacle and I rather wait 50 minutes later in the day.

If only I had a travel agent to share this wisdom with me. Oh wait we did this trip without a TA Live and learn.

OMG YES I refuse to wait in a long line or get in a VQ for cookies but when Jenny was kind enough to get one for us I was not disappointed!

We went in September not long after they opened and Jason only had to wait 15 minutes or so. I think the novelty is finally wearing off. Or at least the 10am novelty is.

Adorable as ever! I love those ears! They look store bought instead of hand-made! Do you remember which shop you got them from?

All of the ears I ordered we really well made. I got them all from the Bow-tiful Mouse Company. She's not on etsy but has an instagram that connects to her website. She only opens the store every few weeks and is usually sold out in a matter of hours but they are worth the price and wait IMO. I got Casey these for Christmas (and they light up). They come later this week and she is gonna be so excited.

Oh, that's amazing!! Exactly how I was imagining they'd taste, but hadn't heard anyone describe them this way. Definitely on our list for December.

I'm the kid who would make cookies just so I could eat the dough (and still am). I wasn't quite sure what to expect for these but cooked cookie dough seemed to sum it up to me

 

[luvpoohandcompany]

Oh it's one of my favorite games. Guess that new Irish word. Bunged = Ridiculously insanely crowded and being held in a pen like sheep in the middle of a pandemic

Spot on!!! I may also tell my children to “bung things in the drawer” = shove that tee-shirt in your chest of drawers regardless of the fact that there’s no room for it- squeeze it in there. God’s sake are you man or mouse- make it fit! .
To be fair my use of my normal slang just shows what good friends we are- no more prim and proper English from me just good aul Belfast speak

It really was terrible and we were some of the only people with masks on. We contemplated actually leaving at one point

Beyond me why they didn’t just open up and let the crowds dissipate. Think you likely made the right call though as I can’t imagine fighting through those crowds to leave.

It was definitely very brotherly of him to pick up the cookies for us. Though he knew I was mad at him for spending such little time with us so it was the least he could do.

Not that I’m sticking up for your brother but it does sound like he was at the mercy of a very demanding groom! Do you guys live near eachother? I’d have been a bit mad too knowing he was right there but you couldn’t catch up more so yes cookies are definitely the way to say sorry.

our sweet tooths were raging and Jason and I decided we were going to go all Wedding Crashers on them so we could partake of the wedding cake. I thought this sounded like a fabulous idea,

I’m with you! Sure what’s the harm! My daughter had a sweetie table at her wedding and laughed as I showed random kids in from the hotel to help themselves to a bag. How could I not when their wee faces had spotted it as they went past the ballroom. There it was in all its glory just beside the bar (gotta train the kids early so when they’re 18 they know where to go to get the drinks in). There was more than enough to go round and sure who doesn’t love a bag of sweets. I did check with their parents first.Wasn’t like I went all child- catcher from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang or anything .

I make a toffee dessert for Christmas every year as its one of my favorite flavors

What is this toffee dessert you speak of? What time is it served and I will be there

 

[buzzrelly]

All of the ears I ordered we really well made. I got them all from the Bow-tiful Mouse Company. She's not on etsy but has an instagram that connects to her website. She only opens the store every few weeks and is usually sold out in a matter of hours but they are worth the price and wait IMO. I got Casey these for Christmas (and they light up). They come later this week and she is gonna be so excited.

Oh my gosh, those are super adorable! Can't wait to see Casey in them!

 

[missjackiemcg]

All of the ears I ordered we really well made. I got them all from the Bow-tiful Mouse Company.

Awesome! Thanks so much! The Christmas ones look incredible!! I'm probably too late for this trip, but will definitely add her page to my list for next time. Because there's always a next time

I'm the kid who would make cookies just so I could eat the dough (and still am). I wasn't quite sure what to expect for these but cooked cookie dough seemed to sum it up to me

MMMMM, me too!!!!! Rob and I may or may not buy cookie dough every now and then with zero intention of actually cooking it.

 

[kastoney]

Spot on!!! I may also tell my children to “bung things in the drawer” = shove that tee-shirt in your chest of drawers regardless of the fact that there’s no room for it- squeeze it in there. God’s sake are you man or mouse- make it fit! .

May not have ever called it bunging but I know this activity very well

To be fair my use of my normal slang just shows what good friends we are- no more prim and proper English from me just good aul Belfast speak

I'd love to speak in my good aul American speak more but if I used some of my most favorite words in the Americanized English language I would be banned from the Dis

Not that I’m sticking up for your brother but it does sound like he was at the mercy of a very demanding groom! Do you guys live near eachother? I’d have been a bit mad too knowing he was right there but you couldn’t catch up more so yes cookies are definitely the way to say sorry.

He was and actually had a fairly miserable time. So you are right in sticking up for him. He loves Disney but got to do next to nothing he wanted to do thanks to all the pre-scheduled fun But I think we are going to Disneyland next year and he is going to join us then for a redo.

My brother lives in Austin, Texas and we're outside DC so he's half way across the country. Which in Ireland probably isn't too bad but here that means well over 1000 miles. We get to see him 2 or 3 times a year but its never enough.

How could I not when their wee faces had spotted it as they went past the ballroom. There it was in all its glory just beside the bar (gotta train the kids early so when they’re 18 they know where to go to get the drinks in). There was more than enough to go round and sure who doesn’t love a bag of sweets. I did check with their parents first.Wasn’t like I went all child- catcher from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang or anything .

Ok a. loving the chitty chitty bang bang reference. One of my favorites when I was a kid. Though we rewatched it sometime in the last year and it did feel like a bit of an acid trip. But b. I can just see you now in the lobby of the hotel luring children with candy into a strange room

What is this toffee dessert you speak of? What time is it served and I will be there

It's the easiest thing in the world because I have no actually baking skills. Really just the assembly of some chocolate cake (soaked in baileys just for you), whip cream, pudding, and toffee pieces. But I "make" it every Christmas cause that is all I've got.

Awesome! Thanks so much! The Christmas ones look incredible!! I'm probably too late for this trip, but will definitely add her page to my list for next time. Because there's always a next time

Now that I've gotten the Disney pre-shopping bug I most certainly agree with that!

MMMMM, me too!!!!! Rob and I may or may not buy cookie dough every now and then with zero intention of actually cooking it.

I may have been know to do that myself but sadly I'm alone on cookie dough island in our house. The former chef won't eat raw eggs and my rule following kiddo follows said chef's lead

 

[missjackiemcg]

I may have been know to do that myself but sadly I'm alone on cookie dough island in our house. The former chef won't eat raw eggs and my rule following kiddo follows said chef's lead

My Mom's been telling me for 39 years that I'll get sick.....so far, she's wrong!!

A few years ago, Market Day started selling cookie dough cups that were meant for eating (and left out the egg ingredient), but something tasted "off," so I'm like, nope, not for me, I must have the raw egg!!

 

[kastoney]

My Mom's been telling me for 39 years that I'll get sick.....so far, she's wrong!!

A few years ago, Market Day started selling cookie dough cups that were meant for eating (and left out the egg ingredient), but something tasted "off," so I'm like, nope, not for me, I must have the raw egg!!

Looks like both of us got the day off I'm sitting here blissfully alone in my pajamas and am loving every minute of it.

I've tried some of that cookie dough stuff too and nope. Need all the chances for salmonella in there

 

[AliceNDinah]

Loving your reviews! You're such a fun and talented writer, among my favorites here. Keep the fun coming

 

[kastoney]

Che FArt Smith’s

I don’t recall if @pepperandchips or @fallonkendra coined this now beloved take on Chef Art Smith’s Homecoming but this is an appreciation post for one (or both) of them in coming up this most brilliant of names.

Today was my brothers last day in Disney and he had never dined at Homecoming so this was his one request before he left. And we of course were happy to oblige.

To start off our meal Jason went with a Florida Avenue IPA.


And my brother and I were the much superior orderers going with the Moonshine Mash (Watermelon-infused moonshine, fresh watermelon, lime juice and simple syrup) for him and a Floradora (Fords Gin, freshly muddled raspberries, lime juice, simple syrup and a splash of Ginger Beer) for me.

I’d had the moonshine mash before, but the Floradora was a new one. I loved the mellow flavors of the gin and raspberries and despite the ginger beer and simple syrup it wasn’t too sweet at all. Would definitely order this again. Side note for any other Kenny Chesney fans out there but thanks to the Floradora, Florabama is now raging through my brain. You’re welcome for that ear worm.

We ended up ordering a second round but I forgot to get pics. I stuck with the same, but my brother went for the Fig and Berries which he described as “chunky” and wasn’t a fan of. Jason got the Muleshine (aka a moonshine mule) which he really liked.

For apps we couldn’t resist the Bunch of Puppies which are hushpuppies served with pimento cheese and red jalapeño jelly.

We’ve ordered these several times before and they never disappoint. Fried corn batter, sweet and spicy pepper jam, and creamy pimento cheese. 'Nuf said.

My brother wanted to order a basket of biscuits to share as well. We tried to tell him that we really didn’t need them with all the food we were about to chow down on, but since he was a Che Fart’s virgin…

I think we maybe ate one of these between all of us. Goodish news for the biscuits (but not my brother) is he took them to go and got stuck in Dallas on the way home so he was happy to have them.

For his entrée Jason ordered the Fried Chicken Sandwich.

This is buttermilk-brined for 24 hours and hand-battered, dressed with hot sauce, aioli, iceberg lettuce, tomato and bread and butter pickles served with house-made barbecue chips drizzled with icebox dressing. While that is a very long description, Jason’s review was “it was good.” So helpful.

Instead of ordering entrée’s the rest of us all shared a couple of apps and a side. First up we have the Thigh High Chicken Biscuits which are topped with Che Fart's fried chicken thighs and bread and butter pickles then drizzled with hot honey.

This is my absolute favorite thing at Homecoming. The chicken is incredibly crispy made all the better by the sweet and spicy honey. And their biscuits are a thing of southern wonder.

We also got the Bee Haven Bay Fried Green Tomatoes with Shaved ham, rémoulade sauce, and dressed local greens.

I have zero idea what this has to do with bees, or haven, or a bay but I do know they are delicious. The tart unripe tomatoes pair really well with the salty ham and slight heat from the remoulade. And the corn meal batter on the tomatoes is so light and crispy it really puts them over the top.

Last, but not least we also got a side of Momma’s Mac and Cheese (someone was apparently very excited about this).

This is pure and utter cheddar cheese decadence. My only complaint is there is so much cheese it actually needs more mac to help soak it all up.

I have no idea how many times we’ve been to Che Fart Smith’s Homecoming but it never disappoints. Despite living in a “southern” state we are at the northern end of it so good ole fried southern food is something we really don’t have and truly appreciate. My brother was a huge fan too and can’t wait to come back.

We were too stuffed for dessert (and we had some Gideon’s for later) so we sadly said goodbye to my brother. At the time we didn’t know how long it would be until we saw him again, but unfortunately it was very soon as a month later our Dad suffered a major health crisis. He is thankfully almost fully recovered now, but my brother flew home the moment he heard and stayed for two full weeks. My Dad and I were so grateful to have him by our sides. ❤

Continued in next post…​

 

[kastoney]

No So Bright Suns

After our filling lunch we chilled at the hotel for a while before heading out for the evening. Casey originally said she wanted to go to the “World Series” which for a non-sports fan we thought was odd but turns out she meant the World Showcase It was a Friday night so we decided to stay away from the likely crowds and instead headed to MGM so we could finally ride Slinky Dog.

We took the boat to MGM (love this perk of The Swan)

And thankfully we did as it started to sprinkle along the way.

Once there the slinky line was over an hour so first we did Runaway Railway followed by Smugglers Run. This was the first time we didn’t get to be pilots but it was still a fun ride as the family we were with was hilarious and literally screaming and yelling at each other on what to do.

As we left the ride the light sprinkle had turned into a downpour that only Florida can bring and cast members were shoo’ing people out of the ride exit. We didn’t have time or space to gear up so we just ran to Docking Bay 7 for some cover. We weren’t really hungry after our massive lunch but decided to grab a snack and wait out the rain so (hopefully) Casey’s slinky dreams wouldn’t be dashed.

For eats we ordered this "special" for the evening.

It was a little tough to chew and the spikes definitely hurt going down, but when in Batuu

For our actual food we split the Felucian Kefta which is Plant-based Meatballs, Herb Hummus, Tomato-Cucumber Relish, & Pita Bread.

We had this 2 years prior at the Annual Pass preview and it was as good as remembered. Garlicy hummus combined with flavorful “meat” balls you’d never know weren’t meat are a great combination. Though in typical Disney form they skimped on the bread.

Jason and I also shared the Golden Squadron Lager.

Nothing special, but it hit the beer spot.

Despite not knowing what it was we also shared the Outpost Puff (which I forgot to get a picture of so thank you Mr. Internet)

This was good but we had no idea that it actually was. We got flavors of coffee and chocolate, but also lemon which was a bit odd. I’ve since looked it up and now know it is chocolate mousse, thai tea panna cotta, and spiced pineapple. So no actual coffee or lemon Oops

Unfortunately the rain had not let up at this point and the park was getting ready to close. So no slinky dog for Casey (and spoiler alert she’d never get to ride this trip). We geared up and headed through the monsoon to exit the park.

Cleraly we were very happy about this.

Unfortunately the boats were down and no one could point us to the back-up buses to The Swan or even the Yacht Club. So we walked. Through the monsoon. A mile back to our hotel. Up Hill. Both ways

Up next, after on the 7th day we rest​

 

[kastoney]

Loving your reviews! You're such a fun and talented writer, among my favorites here. Keep the fun coming

Thank you so much! I really appreciate your very kind words.

 

[luvpoohandcompany]

I'd love to speak in my good aul American speak more but if I used some of my most favorite words in the Americanized English language I would be banned from the Dis

That would never do!!!

My brother lives in Austin, Texas and we're outside DC so he's half way across the country. Which in Ireland probably isn't too bad but here that means well over 1000 miles. We get to see him 2 or 3 times a year but its never enough.

My whole country isn’t that long! I hope you get to spend some time together soon v

Ok a. loving the chitty chitty bang bang reference. One of my favorites when I was a kid. Though we rewatched it sometime in the last year and it did feel like a bit of an acid trip. But b. I can just see you now in the lobby of the hotel luring children with candy into a strange room

I used to watch it every Christmas growing up (alongside the Sound of Music & Wizard of Oz) when we had a whole 3 tv channels here in Ireland. Tried to convince the 14 year old he’d enjoy it when he was about 12 and he just thought I was nuts

It's the easiest thing in the world because I have no actually baking skills. Really just the assembly of some chocolate cake (soaked in baileys just for you), whip cream, pudding, and toffee pieces. But I "make" it every Christmas cause that is all I've got

Sounds heavenly! To be fair you had me at chocolate and Baileys

Sorry to hear about your dad’s health scare. Glad he is on the mend and that your brother was able to be with you so you could support eachother and your dad. Wishing you all good health