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

[DisGirlAllie]

Hi there!!! We've done China Chilcano before but not Oyamel. I think I may actually like China Chilcano a bit more than Jaleo but only because I love Asian food that much more. We also were lucky enough to do Mini Bar a few years back too and it was an amazing experience.

Same here, we did China Chilcano last month for my birthday and it's still my fave. Our very first was Oyamel and it's the one we bring out-of-town visitors to every time! If you like Mexican food, you'll like Oyamel.

 

[kastoney]

Best Day Ever Part 1

For our first full park day we were up and at em before 6 which for our family of non-early risers this was nothing short of miraculous.

Before we’d left I decided to take a page from the fabulous @StarWarsMomofGirls! playbook and get Casey a gift for every day of the trip. I mostly got her t-shirts and ears but just like my dining reservations may have gone a wee bit overboard. For anyone that knows me this is way out of character as I despise shopping but after such a long time away I wanted everything to be perfect.

So up first…It was Dole Whip Day.


With our early departure we were in MK by 7:15 and what awaited us was the most glorious, empty park my eyes had ever seen.


Never having been faced with an empty park before we weren’t even sure what to do with ourselves but we eventually found our way to see Peter


Then got our thunder on, not once but twice


From there we cruised on a Trader Samless jungle expedition and hung out with some feisty pirates before picking up a couple of hitch hiking ghosts.

At about this point Casey complained her jaw was hurting because she was smiling so much. My normal grinch heart grew 10 Disney sizes that day.


Bellies rumbling we mobile ordered up our first official snack and what better than to share the Nutella and Fruit Waffle from Sleepy Hollow.

This place was b-u-s-y which I wouldn’t normally love but a busy Sleepy Hollow = a hot and crispy waffle. Paired with some delicious fresh fruit and yummy hazelnut spread we were all very satisfied (albeit messy) customers.


From there we braved a ride on a wild elephant


And Casey posed with her namesake


Before we swam under the sea

And drove the most carbon dioxide emitting vehicles on the planet.

It wasn’t long before our beloved Pooper (aka the People Mover) came a calling and for us that also means a stop at the Lunching Pad.

We skipped our usual cream cheese pretzel and went for the Mickey varietal.

Is there any better pretzel in the world than one that is Mickey shaped and can be eaten on the most perfect Disney ride?


Up next lunch and the Best Day Ever continues…​

 

[MeghanEmily]

Too accelerated!!!! Not only is she 10 and a giant but she acts like a 20 year old. I want my baby back

Fortunately, she's also continuing to become an awesome cool person who, I'm sure, makes her parents very proud. Pros and cons!

I very much look forward to you disappearing for months on end then catching back up in 2025

...I mean you joke but....not entirely impossible at this rate. That said, I'm ALREADY back again, so I think I'm doing well!

With our early departure we were in MK by 7:15 and what awaited us was the most glorious, empty park my eyes had ever seen.

It's so beautiful.

Then got our thunder on, not once but twice

Okay, this is SUCH a cute picture of you all. You're basically a WDW ad.

At about this point Casey complained her jaw was hurting because she was smiling so much. My normal grinch heart grew 10 Disney sizes that day.

I love the juxtaposition of these two similar but very different-intentioned shirts.

 

[luvpoohandcompany]

For our first full park day we were up and at em before 6 which for our family of non-early risers this was nothing short of miraculous.

The only time I ever love jet lag is the first few days of a Disney trip. Nothing quite like seeing the world wake up

I despise shopping but after such a long time away I wanted everything to be perfect.

Ach totally get the wanting it to be perfect ( also a non- shopper so get that too ). It had been so long! Too long! Love the idea of a gift a day and t-shirts and ears sound just perfect. How did you manage to keep your undercover shopping secret never mind the actual trip??. Job well done !

we cruised on a Trader Samless jungle expedition

At about this point Casey complained her jaw was hurting because she was smiling so much. My normal grinch heart grew 10 Disney sizes

Ok I actually teared up a wee bit at this. It really shines through in your photos just how happy you all are to be there

Gorgeous photo and your t- shirts are cracker.
Just reading your post has made me happy. You really have got off to a perfect start.

 

[amazingact21]

When were you all there?????

My husband and I only spent a night at the Swan. We were there the Friday/Saturday before you guys!

Fingers crossed we can get there but in the meantime we made due with the closest thing DC has to Disney - Jaleo!

I did not know that Jaleo originated from DC.

Overall Jaleo was a great way to get a little Disney in my birthday life.

Everything looked delicious. I was going to quote the items that stood out, but honestly, they all sounded like foods I order and enjoy. Glad it was a nice birthday dinner!

With our early departure we were in MK by 7:15 and what awaited us was the most glorious, empty park my eyes had ever seen.

An empty MK is a beautiful sight.

Is there any better pretzel in the world than one that is Mickey shaped and can be eaten on the most perfect Disney ride?

Definitely not.

 

[kittylady1972]

LOVE you day so far! And your shirts are just too cute!

 

[kittylady1972]

Awesome! I'm a born and bred Virginia girl so I don't know Maryland well at all but we do like to get up to Baltimore once or twice a year. Casey has a doctor at Johns Hopkins so we usually make a day/night of it when we go

My hubby is in the same club as you. I know my way around the city fairly well so I don't mind driving, but he is very content to be my navigator and nothing else

We like to go over there too though I'm a bit disappointed in their restaurant options. But we especially love it around the holidays.

Oh I hope you can make it. If you do Enjoy!!!

Well I was actually born in DC and raised in Southern Maryland and back in the day our only choices for shopping malls where Northern VA so I spent many weekends and Springfield mall and I loved Old Town Alexandria as well. Since I went to college near Baltimore I have since become more of a Baltimore person, happy to drive around that city any time but if go into DC most of the time it's via Metro.

We've done only a handful of National Harbor restaurants and they have been okay. It is a nice area to walk around and of course the Gaylord does the ICE sculptures every holiday which we've managed to attend once.

I'll definitely post if we make it to Jaleo. Having the reservation a day AFTER we return from vacation might be a bit much but we'll see.

 

[Wood Nymph]

So up first…It was Dole Whip Day.

The ears and shirt are adorable. So far, so good on the shopping. (I hate shopping, too.)

With our early departure we were in MK by 7:15 and what awaited us was the most glorious, empty park my eyes had ever seen.

It always feels like we won some sort of a prize when we find an empty MK. Peter Pan is always our first stop when that happens.

At about this point Casey complained her jaw was hurting because she was smiling so much. My normal grinch heart grew 10 Disney sizes that day.

Awwwww! It was all worth it.

the most perfect Disney ride?

I agree. We love the Wedway.

 

[missjackiemcg]

Love the start of day 1!!! I bow down to the daily Tinkerbell gift queen, @StarWarsMomofGirls! Such a great idea, and I love the Dole Whip theme for the first day

This whole update brought a tear to my eye--just such a perfect MK morning. I want to go back like now!!!

 

[AliceNDinah]

I love your Magic Kingdom t-shirt!!!! Also, the Mickey pretzel looks so good - what a great day that must have been.

 

[2xcited2sleep]

6am?!?! Wowza. But that empty park makes it worth it! Dole whip ears and tee are adorable. And your shirt is beyond perfect! You know it's a good day when your cheeks hurt from smiling so much. What a great quote - that would have melted my heart too.

 

[elsbit]

I may have melted a bit at the cheeks hurting statement. Awwwww. Her new ears are so cute!

 

[followthatmouse]

Dole Whip Ears!!! Dole Whip T-shirt!!! Love ‘em ... and your photos ... and the whole vicarious trip! You are bringing up many fine memories and some giggles in the midst of our sixth, yep sixth, lockdown. Thank you!!!

 

[buzzrelly]

First our cab driver came within mere inches of plowing into another car and only by blood curtailing scream stopped him. Then we waited at the airline check in counter for 45 minutes because the person “working” wasn’t authorized to open until “9:08” which is the most oddly specific time ever. Then we had some god awful eggs carefully disguised in a breakfast wrap.

Yikes…not off to a great start!

We probably kept the charade up for just a bit too long as it wasn’t until we walked out of the airport that months of surprise was finally unveiled.

Omg, that's awesome! I love the genuine surprise!

For entrée’s I went with the Filet Mignon Sliders with Truffle Fries.

I’d read about how good these were for years but they sadly did not live up to the hype.

That's a bummer. I've always wanted to try those, though the way you describe them is how I like them cooked anyway so I may love them! This reminds me of my grossly, way undercooked GP burger that I could barely eat and you loved

Jason and Casey somehow waited until we were back in the room to dig into these yeasty concoctions.

So what was the verdict? Casey thought they were really good but heavy and too big. Jason thought they were tasty but excessive for excessive sake. I'm not a big donut fan, but I was scratching my head with these two as I'm pretty sure big and excessive was exactly the vibe they were going for.

I'm with you, except I kind of love all sweets except for donuts. That doesn't even tempt me…now Gideon's cookies…totally different story!

Overall we loved the Swan. Can't beat the location, amenities, and price. If I remember right I think we paid a little over $200 a night plus their resort fee.

I need to check into that when I run out of points. I have POFQ booked for January…Allie is supposed to dance with her dance team and I am considering going down. I do love POFQ though and was really excited to book it, but that Swan location cannot be beat!

We were supposed to be in Disney this weekend to celebrate my birthday and attend the boo bash but between covid and ongoing family stuff we postponed until next month.

We haven't been to the Disney Springs one since we've got a few here so I figured what better way to get inject a little Disney into my birthday.

I had no idea this was a chain!

We don't get into DC nearly as much as we should and meals like this really make me wonder why.

After lunch we walked around our beautiful city for a bit which I've gotta say definitely beats Disney Springs.

Makes me wonder why too! It's such an amazing city, I think you'd be there all the time being so close!

What I did get a snap of was the amazing lemon and blueberry cake Jason and Casey made for me.

Yum! And so beautiful! Way to go Jason and Casey!

Before we’d left I decided to take a page from the fabulous @StarWarsMomofGirls! playbook and get Casey a gift for every day of the trip. I mostly got her t-shirts and ears but just like my dining reservations may have gone a wee bit overboard. For anyone that knows me this is way out of character as I despise shopping but after such a long time away I wanted everything to be perfect.

That is so sweet

So up first…It was Dole Whip Day.

Super cute!

At about this point Casey complained her jaw was hurting because she was smiling so much. My normal grinch heart grew 10 Disney sizes that day.

Just what you needed!

Before we swam under the sea

Great picture and I love both of your shirts!

We skipped our usual cream cheese pretzel and went for the Mickey varietal.

I finally tried a cream cheese pretzel a couple weeks ago and thought it was, meh. I prefer mine salty, not sweet.

 

[StarWarsMomofGirls!]

Before we’d left I decided to take a page from the fabulous @StarWarsMomofGirls! playbook and get Casey a gift for every day of the trip.

YEAH!!!! Your welcome Casey! Ha.

For anyone that knows me this is way out of character as I despise shopping but after such a long time away I wanted everything to be perfect.

This is totally going to be me! I have refrained from starting to look for anything yet. If I start too early, I will have WAY too much!!!

So up first…It was Dole Whip Day.

Cute! Love them, AND a matching scrunchie!!!! score!

With our early departure we were in MK by 7:15 and what awaited us was the most glorious, empty park my eyes had ever seen.

I keep seeing trip reports with these empty parks so early. I think I might need to really push for this when we go back!

At about this point Casey complained her jaw was hurting because she was smiling so much. My normal grinch heart grew 10 Disney sizes that day.

That is so cute!!!

I love your shirt!!! I think I need that for Morgan on our next trip!

And drove the most carbon dioxide emitting vehicles on the planet.

Ugh, those stupid cars! I realized the other day, that I think Gwen is tall enough to drive herself. So, maybe we can just send Morgan and Gwen in line by themselves!!!

Is there any better pretzel in the world than one that is Mickey shaped and can be eaten on the most perfect Disney ride?

Mickey shaped anything just tastes better.

 

[SmallWorld71]

Love all the dole whip accessories!

 

[WL2000]

At about this point Casey complained her jaw was hurting because she was smiling so much. My normal grinch heart grew 10 Disney sizes that day.

OK, that made me a little misty eyed!

 

[kastoney]

Fortunately, she's also continuing to become an awesome cool person who, I'm sure, makes her parents very proud. Pros and cons!

Very proud indeed. I think we'll keep her

...I mean you joke but....not entirely impossible at this rate. That said, I'm ALREADY back again, so I think I'm doing well!

Impressive!!! Now I expect you to keep it up

Okay, this is SUCH a cute picture of you all. You're basically a WDW ad.

Basically. Think its too late to request they pay me royalties

I love the juxtaposition of these two similar but very different-intentioned shirts.

She and I are pretty much juxtapositions of each other most days so these shirts were perfect for us. Casey seeking all the attention her ears could bring her and me wanting no one near me. I actually didn't even realize that they were as similar as they were until we were in the park

Ach totally get the wanting it to be perfect ( also a non- shopper so get that too ). It had been so long! Too long! Love the idea of a gift a day and t-shirts and ears sound just perfect. How did you manage to keep your undercover shopping secret never mind the actual trip??. Job well done !

I had ordered so much crap over such a long period of time she didn't even notice when it came to the house. When it came time to pack I wrapped each days stuff up separately then hid it in a part of the suitcase that zippered off from the everything else and somehow she didn't notice

Ok I actually teared up a wee bit at this. It really shines through in your photos just how happy you all are to be there

We really were so ecstatic to be there it was almost like a dream

Everything looked delicious. I was going to quote the items that stood out, but honestly, they all sounded like foods I order and enjoy. Glad it was a nice birthday dinner!

Everything there really is a standout. We've eaten there a lot over the years and do not think any dish has ever disappointed.

LOVE you day so far! And your shirts are just too cute!

Thank you!

Well I was actually born in DC and raised in Southern Maryland and back in the day our only choices for shopping malls where Northern VA so I spent many weekends and Springfield mall and I loved Old Town Alexandria as well.

Now you are speaking my language. I grew up in the town next to Springfield (and actually work there now) and spent most of my high school years at Springfield Mall. Between the movie theater, Bennagins, and the really old school Farrells ice cream that was my place!

It is a nice area to walk around and of course the Gaylord does the ICE sculptures every holiday which we've managed to attend once.

We did ICE once a few years ago ourselves. Definitely cool but pricey

The ears and shirt are adorable. So far, so good on the shopping. (I hate shopping, too.)

Thanks!!!! Glad to see I'm not alone in the shopping club. Casey loves to shop so how that poor girl got me as her mother I do not know

It always feels like we won some sort of a prize when we find an empty MK. Peter Pan is always our first stop when that happens.

It really is. Foreshadowing this would be the best crowd day we'd have but it truly was glorious

Love the start of day 1!!! I bow down to the daily Tinkerbell gift queen, @StarWarsMomofGirls! Such a great idea, and I love the Dole Whip theme for the first day

She really does deserve a bow down! I wasn't creative enough to get beyond shirts and ears but totally should have outsourced the operation to Ariella b/c I know she could have done it up even better

This whole update brought a tear to my eye--just such a perfect MK morning. I want to go back like now!!!

I know, right? I'm sitting here watching a live stream and getting a little misty eyed. Hopefully we can get back in the next few weeks if not, December here we come

I love your Magic Kingdom t-shirt!!!! Also, the Mickey pretzel looks so good - what a great day that must have been.

Thank you! It really was the perfect day. Part 2 hopefully commencing soon

 

[kastoney]

6am?!?! Wowza. But that empty park makes it worth it! Dole whip ears and tee are adorable. And your shirt is beyond perfect! You know it's a good day when your cheeks hurt from smiling so much. What a great quote - that would have melted my heart too.

Yeah it was way earlier than I prefer to wake up for vacation (and the earliest we'd thankfully be up the whole trip) but it was definitely worth it.

I may have melted a bit at the cheeks hurting statement. Awwwww. Her new ears are so cute!

Thanks! Casey saying that definitely brought a tear to my eye. Like everyone the last year and a half had been so hard and to see her so happy was much needed.

Dole Whip Ears!!! Dole Whip T-shirt!!! Love ‘em ... and your photos ... and the whole vicarious trip! You are bringing up many fine memories and some giggles in the midst of our sixth, yep sixth, lockdown. Thank you!!!

She's a dole whip girl!!! If I remember right a cast member called her that at some point during the day and she was glowing.

6 lockdowns!!! That's a lot. Though I think Florida could use a lock down right about now.

That's a bummer. I've always wanted to try those, though the way you describe them is how I like them cooked anyway so I may love them! This reminds me of my grossly, way undercooked GP burger that I could barely eat and you loved

I'd so forgotten about that burger. I'll forever eat all of your under cooked beef

I'm with you, except I kind of love all sweets except for donuts. That doesn't even tempt me…now Gideon's cookies…totally different story!

Oh we'll get to try that story later in the week and OMG!!! Rare moment when the hype matched the taste

Makes me wonder why too! It's such an amazing city, I think you'd be there all the time being so close!

We definitely don't take advantage as much as we should. Every time we go we vow to get down there more often but then life just gets in the way

I finally tried a cream cheese pretzel a couple weeks ago and thought it was, meh. I prefer mine salty, not sweet.

I love them both. Give me a pretzel in any form and I'm a happy girl

YEAH!!!! Your welcome Casey! Ha.

I wasn't nearly as creative as you but your inspiration paid off well

Cute! Love them, AND a matching scrunchie!!!! score!

Good eyes! I think I ordered her a couple of sets of ears and scrunchies. Because when you are shopping for Disney and an add on comes up of course you must have it

I keep seeing trip reports with these empty parks so early. I think I might need to really push for this when we go back!

We'll see what they look like when the 30 minute early thing starts. You'll see a picture later in our trip but these crowds were very short lived. But that said they got much worse a few weeks later so we definitely hit the sweetish spot

I love your shirt!!! I think I need that for Morgan on our next trip!

Thanks! Yes I think Morgan and I share that keep the people away gene. Jason had gotten this shirt for me for my birthday last year I think and it was very fitting in the middle of covid.

Ugh, those stupid cars! I realized the other day, that I think Gwen is tall enough to drive herself. So, maybe we can just send Morgan and Gwen in line by themselves!!!

Love the way you think!! We've sent Casey on the barnstormer by herself for the exact same reason

Love all the dole whip accessories!

I might have gone a wee bit overboard but we love the

OK, that made me a little misty eyed!

Me too!!! People often wonder why we love Disney so much and its moments like this that remind me why

 

[CruellaNY]

Since I haven't been back here since your holiday birthday, allow me to extend a way belated HAPPY HAPPY! I think Jaleo is a perfect stand-in for Disney as you know I now LOVE Jaleo down there! And yes I would choose your cake over your cousins although I don't usually turn down ANY cake, so.......................

For anyone that knows me this is way out of character as I despise shopping but after such a long time away I wanted everything to be perfect.

Between the dining reservations, getting up early and this SHOPPING I honestly don't know whose report I'm reading But I do love giving the kids a gift every day and will probably do that with our DGD's!

Great first day so far! I was so super happy when you made it back. Fingers crossed your next planned trip is a go