The (Foodie)Force is Strong with Us...a Feb/Mar 2016 trip! THE END - NEW 9/13 Disneyland TR link!

[chunkymonkey]

That is awesome news! I was so excited to see your ticker. We had our first DL visit in July 2014, on our way to Hawaii. We loved it. We stayed at the Grand Californian as well. Great location.

I haven't read over others tips to you. Mine is "Single Rider Line". Ben rode Radiator Springs Racers 6 times in one day between standby, FP and Single Rider. I believe he rode 3 times in a row while the rest of us were on Tower of Terror.

Cool! I'm so excited! How long were you there for? We have the 5 day park hoppers but we really are only there for 4 days and either a night or a morning, haven't decided yet. Some people say that may be a bit long for DLR but I guess it gives us the opportunity to really immerse ourselves in the parks and do everything. I'm hoping they will keep all the Star Wars stuff there for a while before they put up the Halloween stuff.

We found the food to be pretty pricey, we didn't go to counter service as much as we should have. Meals at Blue Bayou, Carthay Circle (World of Color Package). We did love the quick serve options by Paradise Pier.

We're definitely going to do some table service meals. Which one did you like the best? I should probably check out your DLR TR again! I think we will do the WoC dessert party too.

I LOVE the Behind the seed tour! I did it a couple of years ago and really enjoyed it. But then I could ride LWTL a couple of times in a row just to look at the greenhouses! I can't wait to hear about Skipper Canteen.

Haha, yeah it was fun! I was surprisingly entertained even though the green thumb is more DH's thing. But I do love LWTL, it's just so cool. Skipper Canteen was very interesting...more in my next post!

I'm glad they had Jasmine covered up in a coat to keep warm. Otherwise you picture may not have been suitable for a family website.

LOL I'm sure...First time I'm seeing the coat. I like how it matches!

Super cute picture of you enjoying Big Thunder Mountain- my favorite Disney ride.

It's the best!! I seem to get the best pictures of us from that ride. Just pure joy.

I have not tried the Nutella waffle but it looks really good.

It was really good! I could have used a crisper wafflet but I'm sure that would have been harder to fold.

You got a great picture of the ghost at HM.

Thanks! Surprisingly it came out well.

Lovely pictures around the Hub while you were solo. It is nice to have a little time alone to do what you want without inconveniencing your travel partners.

I always enjoy my solo time at WDW!

It has been awhile since I have gone to Monsters Inc or the Speedway. And I'm not sure I have ever (or ever will) do the tea cups.

Teacups, never again! Monsters inc is quite funny actually, I like it when they zoom in on audience members at the beginning of the show. I was featured once a while ago, but I didn't even notice, I think I was trying to look up something on my phone and had a frown the entire time. So I'm sure my caption was something like "most frowny person at WDW" or something like that. DH was the one who told me but when I looked up I was gone. LOL.

So glad you FINALLY were able to ride the Mine Train.

Yeah me too, glad we waited!

Your dinner at Be Our Guest looks awesome. I have only been there once for lunch and Mark and I have a reservation for lunch there on our anniversary trip. The birthday card was such a nice touch- Belle & Beast's signatures are great!

It's a really nice dinner, and isn't too formal. They could do better with the wine selection considering it's the only place at WDW to drink but oh well. I think you'll have a fun time! The birthday card was a nice surprise.

Ending the night at EPCOT with Illuminations is a perfect finale to the day.

I love this![/QUOTE]

Thanks! It was a super fun first day.

The behind the seeds tour looked like a lot of fun! Interactive and educational I never realized they had that available until we saw some folks touring on a recent Living with the Land ride. Is the tour something you have to pay extra for?

Yup, but it's probably the cheapest tour at WDW. I think we paid 35 bucks each. You do get a discount with the Disney Visa card too. I like it because it was less than an hour and I don't want to take up my precious park time with a tour. I always want to to the KTTW tour but that one is hours long...someday I will do it.

Finally all caught up!
I admit that Star Wars has ZERO appeal to me, but I'm happy for you that you had such an awesome time in Hollywood Studios.

LOL we're such huge Star Wars fans! We loved all the new experiences!

Was interesting to read about your V&A experience. All the dishes look fabulous! And I was surprised at how brightly lit the QV room is as opposed to the Main room. I chose 5 of the chocolates but after 3 I could not finish so they boxed the remaining 2 which was nice. If I'd had known that from the get go I would have asked them to box all my selections.

The QV room was very lovely. We sat by the fireplace. The chocolates were really good! I didn't know you could box them up or I would have gotten some more too.

Wasn't F&G wonderful? Although I wish the heat didn't prevent me from trying a lot more from the outdoor kitchens. I actually did the Gardens of the World tour.
Behind the Seeds looks neat. I loved the ride so maybe I'll try it next time.

I love F and G so much! I think it's probably now my favorite time to go! Just sooo pretty with the topiaries and all the food...yum. Can't wait to see what you thought of the GoTW Tour!

Interested to read your Skipper review.

Coming soon!

This is so cool! I bet this took some time to compleat ​

I'm sure it did! But there were probably dozens of CMs working on it so probably got it done in record time!

That behind the seeds tour looked like a lot of fun...really educational too!

It was a fun and educational way to get out of the heat and get some behind the scenes of Disney! I'm not sure I'll do it again anytime soon since it's probably going to be the same thing though. Maybe in a few years.

 

[kadrachb]

The behind the seeds tour looks so cool! Definitely putting this on my to-do list next time we go! Actually, I was considering doing their biotech internship (overall I decided to not apply) and would have partly worked in the labs that at in the tour!

Do they tell you what the gators are there for? I've always wondered that...

 

[TinkerbellLuvr7]

I'm here! Better late than never! I have some catching up to do for sure

 

[amberdc1987]

Your report is awesome. I just found it and I'm all caught up. We are going the same dates next year, so it's great to read a report with the same dates. Gives me an idea of that crowds and the weather (both of which I know will probably change LOL). Keep it coming. I can't wait to read more.

 

[rndmr2]

Nice pics of the Behind the Seeds Tour. DH and I did that one back in 2010 and it was a really nice tour.

Curious to see your Skipper Canteen review.

 

[chunkymonkey]

The behind the seeds tour looks so cool! Definitely putting this on my to-do list next time we go! Actually, I was considering doing their biotech internship (overall I decided to not apply) and would have partly worked in the labs that at in the tour!

Do they tell you what the gators are there for? I've always wondered that...

Oh that would have been so neat if you worked back there! Maybe you could give US a tour! LOL
They didn't say what the Gators were for, but we also didn't ask. Until this week, we just thought it was there for show, but I would not be surprised if they were one of the nuisance alligators they catch on property. Scary to think these waters had alligators - I know FL has a ton of them but I always thought the lake at WDW was some sort of murky man-made thing and perhaps filtered out wild life.

I'm here! Better late than never! I have some catching up to do for sure

Hi Megan! Great to see you here too! Don't worry, still plenty more TR to write!

 

[chunkymonkey]

Your report is awesome. I just found it and I'm all caught up. We are going the same dates next year, so it's great to read a report with the same dates. Gives me an idea of that crowds and the weather (both of which I know will probably change LOL). Keep it coming. I can't wait to read more.

Oh that's cool! We actually really liked the weather and the dates, right after the President's day crowds and before spring break. The weather was really cold for a bit earlier in the week then got hot during the days and cooler at nights and mornings. Some days were pretty warm, but no where near the scorchers that the summers have. There was very little humidity luckily which made it very pleasant. I generally prefer cooler weather than hot in any case. You will have a great time.

Nice pics of the Behind the Seeds Tour. DH and I did that one back in 2010 and it was a really nice tour.

Curious to see your Skipper Canteen review.

I totally forgot to book it before we left so luckily we saw some spaces left on the same day. Our group was only 4 people but the group after that had about 8.

Skipper Canteen coming soon!

 

[nenglim]

Your pics from the Behind the Seeds tour piqued my interest. I think it is something my DH would love to do and maybe my teen sons. My daughter who is 6 Definitely! She is into plants and planting (did not take it from me) I will go for education purposes, theory. Not interested in the application of whatever info is learned!

 

[dizneeat]

I had forgotten how fun that little tour was. We did it a few years ago and really enjoyed it. Our group was larger and had a few kids and they got to set some ladybugs free. So fun to watch. Can't wait to read about Skipper Canteen, as we have an ADR there for August.

 

[chunkymonkey]

Your pics from the Behind the Seeds tour piqued my interest. I think it is something my DH would love to do and maybe my teen sons. My daughter who is 6 Definitely! She is into plants and planting (did not take it from me) I will go for education purposes, theory. Not interested in the application of whatever info is learned!

Haha, you and me both. I did this mainly for DH, but even I thought it was pretty cool. Although it probably had everything to do with the fact that it was at Disney World. If it were anywhere else, I'd probably be bored.

I had forgotten how fun that little tour was. We did it a few years ago and really enjoyed it. Our group was larger and had a few kids and they got to set some ladybugs free. So fun to watch. Can't wait to read about Skipper Canteen, as we have an ADR there for August.

Oooh ladybugs...I am scared of anything bug-related so I will probably step out of the way for that. It's amazing that I even agree to go into It's Tough To Be a Bug.
Writing Skipper Canteen review now!

 

[kastoney]

Wow, that behinds the seeds tour looks like a ton of fun. I'm sure my hubby would love it and my inner 10 year old obsessed with the land self would totally fan girl out. Just gotta figure out what to do with the kid while we'd do it. Maybe we could just drop her off with figment for a while

Can't wait to see what you all thought of skippers....

 

[chunkymonkey]

Day 5 Part 5: Dinner at Skipper Canteen

We left Epcot and took the monorail over to MK. We arrived as it got dark. The park was pretty crowded, much more so than Epcot.

We headed over to Adventureland and straight over to Skipper Canteen to check in. We were pretty hungry at this point after feasting all morning at the F & G kiosks and not having anything else the rest of the day.

I texted my friend Topdog who said they were having a meal at Sanaa and were going to make their way over to MK, probably around the time we finished with dinner. I was so tired, that after we checked in, I just sat on one of those rattan chairs and almost passed out!

When we checked in they said they were running slightly behind schedule so we had to wait about 20 minutes. That's ok because I got a nice 20 minute rest. Soon we were paged and brought in to be seated. The restaurant is really nicely themed, and is bright and airy.

We sat in the main room with the high ceilings, but I went through the Library Room which is on the way to the bathrooms:

I forgot our Skipper's name but she was super sweet. It really is the service that makes this restaurant. She of course, cracked jokes and made puns throughout the meal. But since I was a tired at this point, I can't remember what they were. We were handed menus and proceeded to order drinks. We ordered one each of the two specialty drinks they had.

Aren't they so pretty and colorful? On the left we have Schweitzer Slush: Frozen Apple Juice and Passion Fruit topped with Bursting Green Apple Boba Balls. On the right we have Punch Line Punch: with Tropical Fruit Juices and Mango Purée. They were both good but the Punch Line Punch was exceptionally good because I love mango!

We were brought out the bread service, which looked really cute.

I did not actually like the bread service that much. The bread had some weird spice in it, as well as the honey. Although the sum of it's parts were better than each part by itself. The bread tasted better with the honey and vice versa. I think I detected fenugreek, which I don't think should be in either honey or bread. Just odd to me.

We tried some very interesting things on the menu. Here's what we ordered to start:

S.E.A. Shu Mai
A legendary blend of Pork, Shrimp, Mung Beans, and Spices wrapped in Gyoza Skin then steamed.

This was really good! The shu mai tasted hand-made and not the stuff you find in frozen packages. It's slightly different than what you'd find in traditional dim sum restaurants but we enjoyed this.

Sustainable Fish Collar
Broiled Collar served with a Green Papaya Salad and Yuzu-Soy Sauce

The fish collar was a yellowtail and it tasted great, we often order fish collar at Japanese restaurants (hamachi-kama) so we knew we'd like it. The collar has the most tender and flavoful parts of the fish and it's really hard to overcook it. The papaya salad was ok. The sauce that it was served with, however, was NOT yuzu soy sauce. I know yuzu very well and this sauce was just nasty. Yuzu is just a type of citrus and mixed with soy sauce is called Ponzu and is a thin light seasoning. This sauce was thick and sour and just plain yucky. BUT I found that the fish didn't really need sauce because it's so flavorful, and if I needed sauce, the shu mai sauce worked much better with it. So, I'm warning you, the sauce on this fish is gross but the fish collar itself is quite lovely.

As entrees DH ordered Trader Sam's Head-on Shrimp: Sustainable Local Farm-raised Shrimp tossed in a Chili-Garlic Sauce and served with Chinese Broccoli and Five-grain rice.

This was pretty decent. I do like head-on shrimp. I like sucking the juices out of them, although these weren't that juicy and were more for show than anything. Still, overall a pretty good dish and DH seemed to like it.

I ordered the Curried Vegetable Crew Stew: served with Roasted Acorn Squash, Lentils, and Sautéed Collard Greens. I guess I was in a veggie mood because I had been pigging out for the past week and a half! This was a nice dish although you definitely felt like you were eating healthy. There were subtle Indian spices throughout the vegetables, but it was more lightly seasoned, as opposed to Sanaa's more robust spices. I felt like they should have been bolder with the spice.

For dessert, I wanted to try the strangest-sounding dessert on the menu for the sake of trying it, so we got the Sugar-crusted Congee Pudding: Caramelized Custard with Millet, Almonds, Apricot, Dates, and Honey-Almond Tuile. They brought it out with a chocolate Happy Birthday sign!

Here's a close up of the congee pudding:

I guess I wasn't sure what to expect. I though it would be some sort of rice pudding but it was more like an oatmeal cake. It was definitely a little strange, but hey, I wanted to try something different, and different I got!

Overall, although we enjoyed the atmosphere, service, and the drinks at Skipper Canteen, I thought the food was not quite there yet. It needs a few tweaks. I think it fell into the category of "trying too hard" to be different and exotic, which I am all for but it should taste good too! I think they need to take a cue from Sanaa. Even Tiffins, that new restaurant at AK, sounds like it is more in line with a more authentic vibe. Although I would return to Skipper Canteen I'll wait a while to see if the menu changes a bit, or order different things.

As we were paying my friend Topdog texted, and he was at Skipper Canteen but the restaurant was now closed so they weren't letting anyone in. So I ran outside while DH took care of the check, and then DH came to join us a few minutes later. This was the first time Topdog and I were meeting face to face but we have been DISboard then Facebook friends for over 7 years! Him and his wife love Disney too!

Here's a picture of me and Topdog and his lovely wife!

We stayed and chatted for a long time! It was great to catch up! They were in WDW to meet up with family who were on a trip with Make a Wish Foundation because their niece is special needs. It sounded like a wonderful family trip! Topdog and his wife kept raving about Sanaa and it kept me thinking about how I really wanted to go back. They showed us pictures of the bread service and it looked soooo good. I think I was just disappointed with the bread service at Skipper Canteen that I needed some redeeming at Sanaa! I was thinking about moving around some ADRs to make room for it on the last few days of the trip!

As we parted, Topdog and his wife went to HM, while DH and I headed out of the park. We were just pooped at this point and wanted to head back. We were due back at MK the next day anyways and had a pre-park opening breakfast at BoG so we had an early start.

Before we left we got some last nightime shots at MK. So much better without the darn crane!

We didn't stay for Wishes since we had already seen it and all I really wished for at that point was sleep! It was a long and very productive day at Epcot and MK and we were very happy we got to see (and eat) a lot of things!

Coming up...breakfast at BoG!
​

 

[chunkymonkey]

Wow, that behinds the seeds tour looks like a ton of fun. I'm sure my hubby would love it and my inner 10 year old obsessed with the land self would totally fan girl out. Just gotta figure out what to do with the kid while we'd do it. Maybe we could just drop her off with figment for a while

Can't wait to see what you all thought of skippers....

LOL You don't think Casey will like the tour? I am sure they will do some more fun stuff with kids on the tour but since we were just 4 adults, they gave us the grown up version.

Skipper review just posted!

 

[soniam]

We didn't make it to Skipper Canteen in March, and I don't think we will make it next month. We are trying Tiffins, Boma, and Sanaa, all for the first time. I can't really give these up for Skipper Canteen. Maybe we will make it the next trip. It looks cool. Hopefully, they won't dumb down the menu.

 

[kadrachb]

I like to think I'm adventurous eater, or will at least try everything once. So when the menu came out for Skipper's I was excited to see it, but we never got around to going. I hope they keep the menu the same, just tweak it to better complement the dishes! It's disappointing that the bread service isn't good, bread is one of my favorite things!


I think we saw Wishes so many times staying at the Poly that we were kinda sick of it by our last night!

 

[bcwife76]

That looks like a pretty interesting meal, they like to play around with textures and presentation it would seem. What did those green balls taste like on the top of that slushy drink?

I'm hoping to make a dinner reservation at Sanaa when we were there in January. You can make ressies 180 days out, correct?

yay for pretty castle photos without a crane!!!

So cool that you were finally able to meet up with Topdog!! Makes me kind of sad that we are missing each other at Disneyland this summer by only a couple of days

 

[natebenma]

Day 3-


I have not been to Ohana for breakfast. I must say, I love the food offerings and POG! Mmmmmm!!!! Character interactions looked like a lot of fun.

Love your picture on RNR. We did the Shaka sign on California Screamin' in CA before our trip to Hawaii.

The Star Wars character meets looked great. I didn't notice the Falcon on your dress in the Ohana pictures. Adorable!

Have you ever read the Rebel Spy tips? First one is they often pick a member of a large group (this appeared to be true when we were on our class trip- both times members of our 17 person party were chosen- then again, we took up half the theatre so the odds were ever in our favor). You are also advised to look straight ahead after being seated and through the preshow and don't put on the 3D glasses until directed to do so.

Looks like you both had some fun solo time.

Great title "Say Goodbye to Hollywood" LOL!

We have only seen Lights! Motor! Action! a couple of times and never since they added Lightning McQueen. Wasn't my favorite show, always hot, always crowded and the first time we saw it we got an abbreviated version with a lot of the stunts cancelled because of severe weather in the area.

What a pool view at the Poly!!!

I don't think I can add anything to your Victoria and Albert's review. Food and pictures were awesome. Thank you!

PS- when my friends ask me why I take pictures of my food at Disney (or elsewhere)- I tell them "I paid a lot for that dinner. I want to remember it forever!"

 

[Saphire5742]

Those drinks at Skipper's look so good! I would have had such a hard time choosing between the apple and the mango though as I love both.
Looks like a pretty solid meal overall.
The décor looks cool and interesting as well. Especially that library room!
So great that you got to meet some friends!
And wonderful night caste pictures!

 

[cajunfan]

Yeah, I don't think I am adventurous enough to do Skipper Canteen, although those drinks looked yummy. I could have done the shrimp (and heads on doesn't bother me since I grew up in New Orleans...although I still don't suck the heads...)

I am curious to see your thoughts on BOG breakfast. Nothing on their menu for breakfast makes me WANT to go there. So, hoping your pictures and review may sawy me! I did love dinner there this past trip (was a first for me)

 

[chunkymonkey]

We didn't make it to Skipper Canteen in March, and I don't think we will make it next month. We are trying Tiffins, Boma, and Sanaa, all for the first time. I can't really give these up for Skipper Canteen. Maybe we will make it the next trip. It looks cool. Hopefully, they won't dumb down the menu.

I would choose Boma and Sanaa over Skipper Canteen in a heartbeat. It's just that you can't beat the convenience of Skippers because it's right in MK! Tiffins sounds really interesting too. The menu seems like a cross of Sana, Yak n Yeti, and Boma. I think the food there sounds better than Skippers. I don't' think you'll be disappointed! Let me know what you think of it.

I like to think I'm adventurous eater, or will at least try everything once. So when the menu came out for Skipper's I was excited to see it, but we never got around to going. I hope they keep the menu the same, just tweak it to better complement the dishes! It's disappointing that the bread service isn't good, bread is one of my favorite things!

I don't think you missed much. The ambiance is fun, but the bread service was just plain odd. I think they should just offer Sanaa's bread service instead!

I think we saw Wishes so many times staying at the Poly that we were kinda sick of it by our last night!

Haha, yeah, we saw it once and then once at the Poly. I really wanted to see the SW fireworks again but we couldn't that night since we were so tired. We still have 2 more nights though!

That looks like a pretty interesting meal, they like to play around with textures and presentation it would seem. What did those green balls taste like on the top of that slushy drink?

They were like these bursting balls of liquid, inside was some sour apple flavor. Think kids would really like it because it's fun. I see them at those frozen yogurt places where you choose your own toppings and then the whole thing is weighed. They have different flavor balls too.

I'm hoping to make a dinner reservation at Sanaa when we were there in January. You can make ressies 180 days out, correct?

Yup! 180 days out if you're staying on property. You will love Sanaa!!!

yay for pretty castle photos without a crane!!!

I know! I dont' know why the crane is still up....

So cool that you were finally able to meet up with Topdog!! Makes me kind of sad that we are missing each other at Disneyland this summer by only a couple of days

I know...sad. You'll have to let me know how your trip went!

Day 3-

I have not been to Ohana for breakfast. I must say, I love the food offerings and POG! Mmmmmm!!!! Character interactions looked like a lot of fun.

Ohana for breakfast was really awesome. I only just discovered this at our first Poly stay in 2014. The good is good and plentiful, the characters are fun, and lots of Aloha! What's not to love?

Love your picture on RNR. We did the Shaka sign on California Screamin' in CA before our trip to Hawaii.

Haha awesome!

The Star Wars character meets looked great. I didn't notice the Falcon on your dress in the Ohana pictures. Adorable!

The meets were really wonderful, some of the best moments of the trip. Thanks! I got the dress at Comic con NYC last year.

Have you ever read the Rebel Spy tips? First one is they often pick a member of a large group (this appeared to be true when we were on our class trip- both times members of our 17 person party were chosen- then again, we took up half the theatre so the odds were ever in our favor). You are also advised to look straight ahead after being seated and through the preshow and don't put on the 3D glasses until directed to do so.

I have read almost all the Rebel Spy tips, I have even sat down and smiled straight ahead without glasses. I've done everything that I'm supposed to do, aside from coming with a large group. Waaaah.

Looks like you both had some fun solo time.

Great title "Say Goodbye to Hollywood" LOL!

We did! LOL, thanks! Had to throw in a Billy Joel song somewhere...

We have only seen Lights! Motor! Action! a couple of times and never since they added Lightning McQueen. Wasn't my favorite show, always hot, always crowded and the first time we saw it we got an abbreviated version with a lot of the stunts cancelled because of severe weather in the area.

I've only seen it a few times too. I think this is just my 3rd time seeing it. It was cool but yeah I'm all for making space for Star Wars Land. More Star Wars please.

What a pool view at the Poly!!!

I was surprised at the view we got! I guess that is considered standard view.

I don't think I can add anything to your Victoria and Albert's review. Food and pictures were awesome. Thank you!

PS- when my friends ask me why I take pictures of my food at Disney (or elsewhere)- I tell them "I paid a lot for that dinner. I want to remember it forever!"

It was an amazing dinner! Haha, that is exactly why we take pictures of food!!

Those drinks at Skipper's look so good! I would have had such a hard time choosing between the apple and the mango though as I love both.
Looks like a pretty solid meal overall.
The décor looks cool and interesting as well. Especially that library room!
So great that you got to meet some friends!
And wonderful night caste pictures!

It was a solid meal, but didn't wow me. But it was fun to try!
And it was nice to meet up with friends we've never met but known for a long time, LOL.
Thanks!!! It was a long but great day!

Yeah, I don't think I am adventurous enough to do Skipper Canteen, although those drinks looked yummy. I could have done the shrimp (and heads on doesn't bother me since I grew up in New Orleans...although I still don't suck the heads...)

I think some of the items on the menu looked pretty tame...roast pork, mac n cheese, chicken. I just worry their seasoning could be a bit off since not everything was consistent. I think some items are hit or miss for me. Hopefully it will be more hits in the future if I return!

I am curious to see your thoughts on BOG breakfast. Nothing on their menu for breakfast makes me WANT to go there. So, hoping your pictures and review may sawy me! I did love dinner there this past trip (was a first for me)

We have enjoyed breakfast and we especially enjoyed it the next day. You'll see!