Tink-aholic
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- May 23, 2007
- Messages
- 1,046
Me: Disney veteran, but first time since Covid
My son: also Disney veteran
Son's GF: Disney newbie
I took the earliest flight I could from NH to Orlando, and my son picked me up from the airport at 8:30AM. We had reservations for Topolino's, so we went directly to the Rivera to check it out. Small but classy resort, and I had the lavender iced tea lemonade from the café off the lobby. A M A Z I N G! I would order gallons of that stuff!
Reservation was for 10:50 and we were seated at 10:47. I did not realize how small the restaurant is! No wonder it is difficult to get reservations. Juice that tasted just like Jungle Juice was placed on the table along with some fantastic pastries. We ordered the fruit plate to share. He had the sour cream waffles and I had the breakfast hash. We loved both. The waffles were sweet and crispy, while the hash had just the right amount of spice. Our waiter was outstanding. He was funny, personable, efficient, and very good at his job. We spent some time taking in the views from the terrace before we left.
The next day, we decided to do a day of Disney Springs and having cocktails and appetizers at various resorts. We parked at DS at 10AM and headed straight for Gideon's. I waited in line there while they picked up donuts and coffee at Everglazed. We purchased three donuts (S'more, Oreo, and maple bacon) and three cookies (coffee cake, triple chocolate, and toffee-pistachio) to share. Our favorite donut was the maple bacon, but only by a little. The donuts are sweet, light, and delicious. They had just the right amount of topping for the size of the donut. The cookies took us three days to eat, and they kept for that entire time. Each of us chose a different favorite.
After shopping, we hopped a bus to the Contemporary to go to the Wave Lounge. It was dark and cool, which was perfect contrast to the sun and heat outside. We shared the monster Seven Seas Lagoon (24 oz rum-based cocktail with a glow cube) and also shared a chicken sandwich. Drink was delicious, sandwich was better than I expected.
Next, we took the monorail to the Grand Floridian and sat at the Enchanted Rose lounge. Beautifully tasteful decor and amazing views, this was as bright as the last bar was dark. We each ordered and had an Island Rose (vodka, citrus, and pineapple), an espresso martini, and the specialty drink Amour (vodka and chamomile tea-based drink). The drinks were pretty, but were our least favorites. The martini was sent back for some sugar, to which they courteously complied. They were not serving any food yet, so we enjoyed our drinks and went on to our next location.
After the GF, we went to the Tambu Lounge at the Polynesian. Quiet and dark, we had excellent service from the bartender. We shared a Lapu Lapu, a seafood flatbread, chicken wings, and bread pudding. All of it was amazing! The flatbread was thin and stayed crispy, despite the toppings and sauces. The wings were also crispy with just a hint of heat. The bread pudding was, well, fabulous. Anyone who has had it knows.
The drink was our favorite of all of the drinks that day.
Finally, we wanted to try the Dahlia Lounge at Coronado Springs. None of us had been to this resort and we explored a bit. The bar is on the roof and has wonderful views, and we could see three of the parks from that vantage point. We sat outside on extremely comfortable couches and the breeze and temperature were perfect. We only ordered a beer and sangria for drinks; both were good. The sangria was sweet and had a pleasant aftertaste. To eat, we had Jalapeño-Cilantro Pistou croquettes (crispy, nice flavor, about the size of fried cheese) and the cheese plate (with honey and quince jam). This was the perfect place to end our day.
We are going back for a big family trip in a few weeks, so I plan to post a review of those meals too.
My son: also Disney veteran
Son's GF: Disney newbie
I took the earliest flight I could from NH to Orlando, and my son picked me up from the airport at 8:30AM. We had reservations for Topolino's, so we went directly to the Rivera to check it out. Small but classy resort, and I had the lavender iced tea lemonade from the café off the lobby. A M A Z I N G! I would order gallons of that stuff!
Reservation was for 10:50 and we were seated at 10:47. I did not realize how small the restaurant is! No wonder it is difficult to get reservations. Juice that tasted just like Jungle Juice was placed on the table along with some fantastic pastries. We ordered the fruit plate to share. He had the sour cream waffles and I had the breakfast hash. We loved both. The waffles were sweet and crispy, while the hash had just the right amount of spice. Our waiter was outstanding. He was funny, personable, efficient, and very good at his job. We spent some time taking in the views from the terrace before we left.
The next day, we decided to do a day of Disney Springs and having cocktails and appetizers at various resorts. We parked at DS at 10AM and headed straight for Gideon's. I waited in line there while they picked up donuts and coffee at Everglazed. We purchased three donuts (S'more, Oreo, and maple bacon) and three cookies (coffee cake, triple chocolate, and toffee-pistachio) to share. Our favorite donut was the maple bacon, but only by a little. The donuts are sweet, light, and delicious. They had just the right amount of topping for the size of the donut. The cookies took us three days to eat, and they kept for that entire time. Each of us chose a different favorite.
After shopping, we hopped a bus to the Contemporary to go to the Wave Lounge. It was dark and cool, which was perfect contrast to the sun and heat outside. We shared the monster Seven Seas Lagoon (24 oz rum-based cocktail with a glow cube) and also shared a chicken sandwich. Drink was delicious, sandwich was better than I expected.
Next, we took the monorail to the Grand Floridian and sat at the Enchanted Rose lounge. Beautifully tasteful decor and amazing views, this was as bright as the last bar was dark. We each ordered and had an Island Rose (vodka, citrus, and pineapple), an espresso martini, and the specialty drink Amour (vodka and chamomile tea-based drink). The drinks were pretty, but were our least favorites. The martini was sent back for some sugar, to which they courteously complied. They were not serving any food yet, so we enjoyed our drinks and went on to our next location.
After the GF, we went to the Tambu Lounge at the Polynesian. Quiet and dark, we had excellent service from the bartender. We shared a Lapu Lapu, a seafood flatbread, chicken wings, and bread pudding. All of it was amazing! The flatbread was thin and stayed crispy, despite the toppings and sauces. The wings were also crispy with just a hint of heat. The bread pudding was, well, fabulous. Anyone who has had it knows.
The drink was our favorite of all of the drinks that day.Finally, we wanted to try the Dahlia Lounge at Coronado Springs. None of us had been to this resort and we explored a bit. The bar is on the roof and has wonderful views, and we could see three of the parks from that vantage point. We sat outside on extremely comfortable couches and the breeze and temperature were perfect. We only ordered a beer and sangria for drinks; both were good. The sangria was sweet and had a pleasant aftertaste. To eat, we had Jalapeño-Cilantro Pistou croquettes (crispy, nice flavor, about the size of fried cheese) and the cheese plate (with honey and quince jam). This was the perfect place to end our day.
We are going back for a big family trip in a few weeks, so I plan to post a review of those meals too.
