April 15, 2010
Day 5, Part 3 In Which Your Feet Are Getting The GRAND Treatment!!!!!
Whoo hooo! It's been less than a week since my last update and I am already updating again! I gotta speed this puppy up so I can finish before our next trip (which will hopefully be in April!)
When I left you, I was on my way out of the Magic Kingdom, filled with giggles over the cute duckies. I headed to the monorail so I could get to the Grand Floridian Spa and pay for my mom's spa treatment in advance.
The GF spa is in a separate building from the main GF where you get dropped off on the monorail, so you have to walk past the pool and around the place a bit. I really enjoyed walking around the GF. I've explored the inside a lot, but never really the grounds. I didn't take any pictures though, because I was kind of in a rush. I had to get to the spa, pay, walk back to the GF, take the monorail back to the MK, take the bus from the MK to CBR, tell my mom about her surprise, get on the bus back to the MK, get on the monorail back to the GF, and walk to the spa again! LOL!! This is why it's awesome to have a freakin' rent-a-car. I know could have just called my mom and told her to meet me, but I wanted to A.) See her reaction when I told her, and B.) Escort her there like a princess!
Of course the spa was gorgeous inside and I was wishing I had booked my own spa treatment! But you know what, I really was dying to get back over to Epcot so I didn't mind. I took the monorail back to MK, and the bus back to Caribbean Beach. WHEW. In line for the CBR bus, ANOTHER duck family came waddling right into the line with us! For some odd reason, I didn't take my camera out, but trust me - there were many other instances of this that I did catch on camera, so just wait and see!
I updated my twitter:
I'm going back to our resort right now to tell her SURPRISE!!!! Your aching feet are getting the GRAND Disney treatment today!!!!!! 11:41 AM Apr 15th via txt
When I finally got back to CBR, thankfully my mom was fully dressed and just finishing doing her hair. She thought we were going to Epcot. Haha, nope!!!
I told her what I had done and she just stood there with her mouth open. I told her everything was all set and paid for so all she had to do was go there and relax! She was so happy and ran over to hug me. She said she had barely been on her feet yet that day and they were already killing her and I couldn't have picked a better thing to do for her! She just kept hugging me and thanking me... it really is true it feels better to do good things for others than yourself. Especially people who you love SO much who take you to Disney! I was so happy!
On the way to the MK, I think she was bouncing she was so excited LOL. When we got there, instead of the monorail we took the boat over. It is just more relaxing and my mom had kept saying earlier in the trip how she really wanted to take the boat over so we finally got to. I honestly can't remember the last time we did that!
So funny how close in proximity the resorts are (here you see the Poly and the GF) and yet they both offer such different and unique experiences!
That's Narcoossee's, which I hear is great, but I'm not a huge seafood fan so we've never been. It would be sooo beautiful to sit on the water like that though!
I dropped her off at the GF Spa and she gave me like 10 hugs before I left. Her excitement was infectious and I couldn't wait to get over to Epcot for some solo time!
Before I left I snapped a pic of my favorite chairs ever:
I took the monorail to the TTC and then to Epcot. I think the ride from the TTC to Epcot is one of the best rides at Disney World, period. It's so much fun to ride around Epcot before actually touring the park. I have a video of the whole ride that I took on my camcorder that I can barely even watch cause it makes me so homesick for Disney!
By the time I got to Epcot, it was like 1:30 PM and all I'd eaten all day was that popcorn. You know, it's funny how much I obsess over Disney food and then when I'm there I get so distracted by all the wonderfulness around me I end up not even realizing it's time to eat.
We had an ADR for Les Chefs de France for later on in the trip. Neither of us had been there, but I was dying to try it because I have heard such good things here on the DIS. I had told my mom we were going because I was so excited, and she seemed less than enthused about it and seemed like she didn't wanna eat there too much. I understood, but was still kinda disappointed. I know French food isn't really her forte, but I thought she'd be excited about trying something new. Plus, this is Disney World, not actual France, obviously it's going to be a bit Americanized.
So I decided to head to France to check it out on my own. I didn't have an ADR but hoped they had an opening. I went up to the podium and asked if they had a table for one available. The woman at the podium snapped, "Of course miss!" and instantly turned around.
I love French people.
A lot of Americans think the French are rude but they're not, they're just direct. To the point. No BS. and I LOVE IT.
Onto my meal!
Sweet baby Jesus in Heaven was this food good. GREAT. GRAND! SCRUMPTIOUS! AMAZING! It was so good that I am most excited to return to Les Chefs above all other restaurants.
Even Le Cellier.
GASP. I know, I know. But it's that good. It really is. I can't believe this place isn't constantly filled to the gills with Le Cellier rejects because it is on par with the best.
I waited less than five minutes before I was escorted in by a very cute French guy. Another very cute French guy was my waiter. It's safe to say that there are MANY very cute French guys there, so even if you aren't into the food, go for the show.
The waiter and I talked about France a bit. I know more about it than the average American probably does because my friend Peter goes there all the time. When I ordered, I even tried to order in the language since I took a year of it. However, that was a long time ago and I have a feeling he was just being polite when he told me, in French, how good my French was. At least... I think he did.
He brought me a whole mini loaf of French bread and it was delicious! Here's a picture of a piece I cut off and you can see the cute placemat they put down also:
I decided to go with the Prix Fixe - 3 courses for $20 which is a GREAT value for the deliciousness bestowed upon you.
Here are the choices you get when on the Prix Fixe:
First Course-
Soupe a l' oignon gratinee - Onion soup topped with Gruyere cheese
OR
Bisque de Homard - lobster bisque $6.25
Second Course-
Croque monsieur et sa salade verte - classic French toasted ham and cheese sandwich with a green salad
OR
Quiche Lorraine - ham and cheese quiche
OR
Gratin de Macaroni - Baked macaroni with cream and gruyere cheese
Third Course-
Creme brulee - vanilla creme brulee and a madeleine
OR
Profiteroles au chocolat - Puff choux with vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce
Just reading that is making my stomach growl like an angry lion!!
Before my food came, to my right, I saw the little Remy show going on! Oh it was so cute!!
I think I was enjoying it more than that child honestly. LOL. I thought it was so cool. As per usual at Disney, the 5 year old inside me came alive and I was like "REMY!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
For my first course, I got what us Americans call French Onion Soup.
This is one of my favorite things to eat. I get it almost everywhere. It's good pretty much everywhere. However, at Les Chefs...it was...exceptional. Trust me, the French Onion Soup you are used to is swill compared to this. I believe I gobbled it up in about five seconds. It was beyond the best I have ever had anywhere.
I posted on Twitter:
Eating french onion soup!! In FRANCE!!!!! 2:00 PM Apr 15th via txt
For my next course I picked the Gratin de Macaroni aka Macaroni and Cheese.
Oh boy.
This was so good that just looking at the picture of it makes me feel like crying. I AM TRYING TO BE STRONG HERE. Not only was it the best macaroni and cheese ever made, but it was one of my favorite meals ever. I can't even describe how perfect it was. The pasta was so fresh. So perfectly cooked. The cheese sauce was exactly the right consistency and flavor. I just.......can......not. I think if this dish cost $50 I would pay it. PLEASE DO NOT TELL DISNEY!!
After I finished that masterpiece (by the way, they give you the perfect amount to fill you up but not STUFF you to death), I took a some pics of the beautiful restaurant:
At some point during my meal, Beauty & the Beast walked by the restaurant, and I thought, "Well, that's something you don't see everyday in Jersey."
For my dessert, I chose the Profiteroles au chocolat.
Good God. Again, just amazing. This is basically like a cream puff cut in half with vanilla ice cream sandwiched in between, slathered in chocolate sauce and white chocolate shavings. Oh, it was the stuff of dreams.
Les Chefs de France gets 10 stars and 5 thumbs up from moi. You absolutely must try it! During the rest of our trip, I kept wanting to go back, so I think I might book this twice on our next trip!
Up Next: More World Showcasing, meeting up with mom, and evening at MGM
Mmmmmmmm....French waiters...I mean FOOD! French FOOD!
I'm so happy to hear that! I promise you, you will love it there. By the way, do you know how many times I have altered my plans b/c of reading about something in a TR and deciding I HAD to try it? It's just inevitable! 
I'm glad to be so inspirational!
