This doesn't look like New Orleans...

[jason4024]

Just jumped in, luckily pretty early on in your trip. Cant wait to read more.

Great pics!!! How cool you got to see the space shuttle! Ever see the video someone took while they were flying over Florida?

So what is the secret of getting 999,999 on Buzz? I need pointers, PRONTO!

I need to go to WDW with you and Mark so one of you guys can hold my beer while I'm going on ToT and RnCC!!!!!

I dont know how to do it, but my wife pulled the same feat in December. I think you need to not let the kids spin it in 1000 circles while going through.

 

[DisDadDoc]

Victoria and Alberts

[/CENTER]

Okay, folks, now that I'm two trips behind, I better finish this TR... Thanks for everyone who signed up and stuck with me. Sorry for the delay!

First night, Victoria and Alberts. A wonderful restaurant. Fabulous food. Fabulous service. No kids and a harpist. What more do you want?

Each table has two servers, a man and a woman (supposed called Victoria and Albert, although our servers didn't keep up that part of the story). Here's the centerpiece.

They started with an appetizer of some sort. There's a french name for this "Amouz-bouche" (I googled it). It apparently means "to amuse the mouth". Very small bites of something that's not on the menu. You would think that this was the leftovers, but hands down this was the best thing I've eaten at Disney (until I had the pizza at Via Napoli). The theme was egg and I had an egg custard served in an eggshell. Unbelievably good!

Then there were a variety of other courses, the cheese course

A vegetable course

The tuna course (is that a course?)

And another couple of courses that I can't remember what it was (don't get the wine if you want to remember your meal better)

My DW started to get annoyed with me taking pictures so much so I don't have the main course. But I do have the dessert and coffee:

We actually took a video of the coffee brewing (which I can't post for some reason). We were pretty drunk at that time and couldn't figure out how this space-aged thing was brewing the coffee... Hoped that looking at it the next day would help (It didn't).

When you leave, they give the DW a rose, and a take-home bag with some breakfast type bread for the next day.

We stopped to take a picture of their salt block and their liquor for some reason. Again, skip the wine if you want to remember the meal better.

Here's a better picture of the harpist

Stumbled back to our room, watched the fireworks over the MK and collapsed so that we could get up in the morning for the Segway tour.

 

[Jazzabelle508]

Everything looks sooo good! Especially the dessert! Glad that you and your wife enjoyed it! Hope that both this trip that your writing about and the other trip went well.

 

[DisDadDoc]

Day 2: Around the World Segway Tour

The next morning, I had booked one of the later Segway tours. They start at 7am, and we got the one just before the park opened. 8:30, I think. You have to be 16 years old to do this, so our kids were very jealous!

You meet at the Guest Info center inside Epcot. Since we were in an essentially empty park, we stopped for a photo

Our tour was small, only 6 adults (including us). But coincidently, this was exactly 11 months before our next planned trip to Disney. So I had to break away from orientation at 9am to call DVC member services to get our room. Sigh. The life of a commando planner...

Anyway, they take you back to Innoventions to do a 1 hour orientation and to run you through an obstacle course. Literally. They set up cones and you need to prove yourself by navigating through them. Everyone on our tour was relatively young (30-40's) and coordinated, so we whipped through this really fast.

Here's my DW and her Segway

I got kind of yelled at for taking this photo while we were riding...

After that, they take you out in the World Showcase. You're about 8-10 inches above your normal height, so the view is spectular. Plus, at that hour of the morning, with an empty park, you can really appreciate the details that they put into the theming. Plus the guides do a great job directing you and pointing out things (like the columns at Italy and the stories behind the mini trains in Germany). They stop you at Italy and take a great pic of you with Spaceship Earth behind you.

Here's my beautiful DW

And both of us!

If I did this again, I'd do it earlier in the morning. By the time we were finishing (around 11-11:30), the World Showcase was opening, so we had to weave around crowds a bit to get to Innoventions. But a small complaint, it was a wonderful tour!

For lunch, we ate at the Coral Reef restaurant. A very different experience without kids. We took our time and tried to identify as many fish as we could from the menu guide. I had the trout, which was not fishy-tasting at all! (I'm not a big fish fan)

After that, we walked over and took way too many pics of the flowers. Again, file size issues and very late TR, so sorry about that! I'll try to post some of these later after uploading to photobucket

Thanks again for sticking around so far! More soon!

 

[theduck619]

Victoria and Alberts

[/CENTER]

Okay, folks, now that I'm two trips behind, I better finish this TR... Thanks for everyone who signed up and stuck with me. Sorry for the delay!

First night, Victoria and Alberts. A wonderful restaurant. Fabulous food. Fabulous service. No kids and a harpist. What more do you want?

They started with an appetizer of some sort. There's a french name for this "Amouz-bouche" (I googled it). It apparently means "to amuse the mouth". Very small bites of something that's not on the menu. You would think that this was the leftovers, but hands down this was the best thing I've eaten at Disney (until I had the pizza at Via Napoli). The theme was egg and I had an egg custard served in an eggshell. Unbelievably good!

Then there were a variety of other courses, the cheese course

The tuna,

And another course that I can't remember what it was (don't get the wine if you want to remember your meal better)

My DW started to get annoyed with me taking pictures so much so I don't have the main course. But I do have the dessert and coffee:

We actually took a video of the coffee brewing (which I can't post for some reason). We were pretty drunk at that time and couldn't figure out how this space-aged thing was brewing the coffee... Hoped that looking at it the next day would help (It didn't).

When you leave, they give the DW a rose, and a take-home bag with some breakfast type bread for the next day.

We stopped to take a picture of their salt block and their liquor for some reason. Again, skip the wine if you want to remember the meal better.

Stumbled back to our room, watched the fireworks over the MK and collapsed so that we could get up in the morning for the Segway tour.

Well it looks like you remebered the alcohol

 

[DrMomof3]

I'm so jealous of the V&A dinner since we just cancelled ours. Yum!
The Segway tour looks awesome!!!

Amanda

 

[DisDadDoc]

Everything looks sooo good! Especially the dessert! Glad that you and your wife enjoyed it! Hope that both this trip that your writing about and the other trip went well.

Thanks!

Well it looks like you remebered the alcohol

We did!

I'm so jealous of the V&A dinner since we just cancelled ours. Yum!
The Segway tour looks awesome!!!

Amanda

Oh, no! Why did you cancel, Amanda?

Can't remember your plans, but definitely try to fit in Via Napoli. Unbelievable! Pizza is one of the (maybe) 10 foods my oldest eats, and he was in heaven! They truck in the water from Pennsylvania (has the most similar mineral content to Napoli) and all the ingredients from Italy.

 

[dvczerfs]

great up dates doc! vic and alb look great. dw and i are going to try it out in 2012.
glad you guys are having a great time.

 

[DrMomof3]

Oh, no! Why did you cancel, Amanda?

Can't remember your plans, but definitely try to fit in Via Napoli. Unbelievable! Pizza is one of the (maybe) 10 foods my oldest eats, and he was in heaven! They truck in the water from Pennsylvania (has the most similar mineral content to Napoli) and all the ingredients from Italy.

We're in the middle of buying a house (in Scarsdale so you can only imagine what housing prices and property taxes are like!) and we felt that it would be excessive to spend that much on a meal this year. We're Disney regulars so we'll have another opportunity! We changed our date night meal to Jiko.

We've had lunch at Via Napoli twice and plan to have lunch there again this summer. It's definitely becoming a must-do for us!!! My DH and kids don't eat any pork products but I think the prosciutto and melon pizza is worth a trip to Disney!

Amanda

 

[DisDadDoc]

We're in the middle of buying a house (in Scarsdale so you can only imagine what housing prices and property taxes are like!) and we felt that it would be excessive to spend that much on a meal this year. We're Disney regulars so we'll have another opportunity! We changed our date night meal to Jiko.

We've had lunch at Via Napoli twice and plan to have lunch there again this summer. It's definitely becoming a must-do for us!!! My DH and kids don't eat any pork products but I think the prosciutto and melon pizza is worth a trip to Disney!

Amanda

That's a good reason! I'll have to check your TR about Jiko. Our Feb trip next year is going to be at AKL.

 

[afwdwfan]

Victoria and Albert's looks very nice... way to classy for me.

I'd like to do the segway tour sometime. Actually there are a lot of tours I'd love to do sometime. Maybe if I could convince the wife that we need to go more often, then we'd have time to be able to do tours once in a while.

 

[that's nice]

Great updates!!!

I'm not sure if I would be interested in V&A or not? Do you think it was worth it- I know this is subject to your opinion.

SHAME on you for taking a picture while on a segway!

That tour looks really neat. I doubt I'll ever be in WDW without kids so I will just dream about it. How much was the tour? (or were you too hungover to remember that?)

 

[DisDadDoc]

Victoria and Albert's looks very nice... way to classy for me.

I always fell like I'm wearing a grown-up costume at those places as well.

I'd like to do the segway tour sometime. Actually there are a lot of tours I'd love to do sometime. Maybe if I could convince the wife that we need to go more often, then we'd have time to be able to do tours once in a while.

That's a good plan, Andy!

Great updates!!!

Thanks!

I'm not sure if I would be interested in V&A or not? Do you think it was worth it- I know this is subject to your opinion.

I think it is worth it, but really, this is a once every 5-10 year thing. Its not going anywhere, so wait until you feel like you can splurge for it. There is so much good food at Disney, that you don't need to spend this much. Definitely a special treat

SHAME on you for taking a picture while on a segway!

That tour looks really neat. I doubt I'll ever be in WDW without kids so I will just dream about it. How much was the tour? (or were you too hungover to remember that?)

I think it was between $150-200 (I want to say $189 per person). But they do have AAA discounts (which we got). I believe that there is also a Disney Visa discount, but the AAA was a better deal (at least when we did it)

Check my posts for a couple of updated pics that I was able to downsize to fit

Should have some flower pictures later today

 

[DisDadDoc]

Flower and Garden Show

I figured out how to adjust file size on photobucket (thanks, Nate! ), so now I can post flower pictures. We have a ton, but these are some of the best.

The detail work here is amazing and easily missed in a crowded park!

The Butterfly that was the theme of last years show

One of the many gardens

We also spent a lot of time in the fairy garden with those topiaries (they're back this year)

A fairy house

Silvermist (DD favorite)

Tink!

Terrance (the boy fairy)

Vidalia (she's kind of a bad guy)

Rosseta

And Fawn

There was also a very cool butterfly garden (which is also back this year). If you wait around, you can watch them hatch. Only takes about 5-10 minutes for one to hatch.

Thanks for reading! Will try to finish this up soon. I need to get to my next TR (and weed through the >2500 pictures we took last week )

 

[scm200]

Just joined to read your trip report, the mention of Aspie in your profile intrigues me, my godson who is 22 is an Aspie and struggling with it daily. His favorite place on earth is WDW and he is joining my Mom and I for an impromptu trip there in May. Disney is a great place for him, the cast member are great at listening to him, and no one makes fun if he has a hard time explaining himself. Will continue to watch for more updates to your trip, loved the pix of the flowers, can't wait to see them in person
Sharon

 

[IamTrike]

2 great updates. The segway tour looks really amazing.

After that, they take you out in the World Showcase. You're about 8-10 inches above your normal height, so the view is spectular. Plus, at that hour of the morning, with an empty park, you can really appreciate the details that they put into the theming. Plus the guides do a great job directing you and pointing out things (like the columns at Italy and the stories behind the mini trains in Germany). They stop you at Italy and take a great pic of you with Spaceship Earth behind you.

What is the story with those trains? Your comment lead me to google it, but I can't seem to find much more information about them.

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

Looks like some very cool experiences! Amazing the things you get to do when no kids are around. Being a simple-tastes kind of guy, I'm not sure V&A is for me. But I'm glad I could experience it vicariously!

So who won the segway races?

 

[Jazzabelle508]

Cool Pictures of everything for the flower and garden festival! My mom and I usually go to Disney during the week of my spring break so we have also been here for this festival! However, I hadn't been there for the flower and garden festival since 2008 so I liked seeing your pictures of what all had changed. The faries look sooooo cool!!!!! I don't know much about the faries but they seem like they are extremely popular.

 

[Shannon84]

Victoria and Alberts looked amazing!! Probably too classy for me but looked like a great experience!!

 

[Wherem I Now]

Great updates! I'm really looking forward to seeing the Flower & Garden festival for myself next week. Maybe it will inspire me to fix up my landscape a bit.