PrincessV
DIS Legend
- Joined
- Jul 6, 2006
- Messages
- 14,311
I know Ive been slacking big-time with this report. All I can say is that I may have bitten off more than I can chew
between work, school issues for Leo and my own schoolwork, I just havent had the time Id like to write this. Im sorry. 
But I had a little break in the action and got busy with an update. Were up to the fourth night of our five-night trip. Remember that wed spent the morning at the Magic Kingdom and by early afternoon, it was time to dodge the incoming crowds and head for greener pastures Epcot.
Id say that might be the worst metaphor ever, but it actually applies here have you ever noticed just how green Epcot is? Ive long thought all those stretches of unnaturally green grass are what make my heart melt for Epcot. Im especially partial to the grassy knoll (NO Kevin Costner) near the entrance to the Living Seas. Aside from just being pretty, thats also where Leo learned to walk!
Anyway, we hopped a monorail to Epcot (EP) and watched the crowds disappear behind us as we whizzed over to the much easier and slower pace of Future World. There were probably lots of people there, too, and likely some long waits for rides but we had other plans that called for a leisurely pace and some new experiences. Our only real etched-in-stone plan was dinner. But Ill get to that in a bit.
We decided to wander about Innoventions, since we usually skip it in favor of rides. We looked in the window of the Velcro show, but it wasnt calling us. The Great Piggybank Adventure, however, was.
The Great Piggybank Adventure was very cool and I highly recommend it! Basically, the idea is to show folks how to invest and save wisely. Its sponsored by T. Rowe Price, but really, the product placement was minimal and our attention was very focused on the game.
To begin, we were provided with our Piggy, who wed move from station to station, determining a goal for our savings and then navigating savings strategies and pitfalls.
We chose to save for a vacation (of course!) on a warm, sunny beach. Given that we live less than five miles from a warm, sunny beach, we thought this was a pretty easy one to nail.
We were mistaken.
Sadly, I must report that the Great Piggybank Adventure showed us for what we are: a family of not particularly savvy investors who prefer safety over risk and probably spend more on vacations than we should. Oh well. It was a lot of fun and didnt tell us anything we didnt already know, so it was a winner all the way around!
And we were then ready for an over-priced shopping tour of World Showcase.
We bought Leo a Transformers/PowerRangers/Pokemon something or other in Japan, strolled the alleys of Morocco, and waved to our peeps at Tutto before descending upon the Germany pavilion to drop some serious change on food.
Yes, food. And wine. Not to be confused with my annual day at the Epcot Food & Wine Fest at which serious change is dropped in every pavilion.
This time, it was in only two spots: the Werthers shop and the Ghluewine cart. I think stupid Werthers has me addicted to their caramel and chocolate dipped pretzel rods; just the other day I found myself considering a day trip to WDW just for those pretzel rods.
But at least I can count on the pretzel rods being there in the future. The Ghluewine, however, is a seasonal delicacy and had to be partaken of while in the right season. If youve not sampled it, Ghluewine is a somewhat sweet (but not overly so Im a dry wine person and Ghluewine doesnt make me melt) red wine thats served hot, like tea. Its absolutely perfect for a crisp, cool afternoon and it went down very nicely, thank you very much!
We all sat on a bench, out by the edge of the lake, me sipping my wine while Gramma and Leo munched on some Werthers treats. It was just about perfect; the sun was low in the sky, dappling Epcot in shadow and warm, golden light, and we were content to sit a spell and enjoy the company of each other. We dont often have those opportunities in our daily lives, and we never seem to during summer WDW trips. Thats a big difference between our summer and winter times at WDW and Id plumb forgotten about it until that moment. I vowed to myself then and there that wed spend some more winter quality time in the House of Mouse in future years. And, Im signed up to do just that.
We eventually began making our way over toward the Mexico pavilion, stopping along the way for a final viewing of the Dragon Acrobats in the China pavilion. Theyre ending their contract with Disney, this month I think, and wont be back. Weve enjoyed watching them for years and will miss them, but hope theyre moving on to better gigs.
Finally, we made it to our end destination: La Hacienda de San Angel, Epcots new table service/ counter service establishment that took the place of the old Cantina. Aesthetically, the Disney folks did a superb job; the waterfront never looked better over there. The exterior of the building is lovely but unobtrusive; its not fighting for attention with the pyramid, but holds its own with saffron colored stucco, terracotta tiled overhangs and wrought iron embellishments. It looks like things will be dark inside
... which makes the experience of entering the dining room all the neater the interior was absolutely bathed in the light of sunset! A long row of windows overlooks the lake and seating is tiered, so that everyone gets a nice view.
This was taken from our table. We were the furthest away from the windows, in a raised semi-circular booth. It was perfect!
Know what else was perfect at La Hacienda? The service. And the drinks. And the food. And the everything.
Our server knew his stuff; he didnt just recommend things for us, he took the time to ask what types of flavors we enjoy and paired us with food and drink selections that seemed tailor-made for our unique tastes. I began with a Guava margarita that I feared would be overly fruity and sweet and I was blissfully mistaken. It was quite possibly the best margarita Ive ever tasted! Gramma gave excellent reviews on her glass of white wine, too. A basket of fresh, crisp tortilla chips and a couple of salsa options come standard and, frankly, could have been a light meal themselves with a side salad. They were that good. Even Leo, who previously had refused to sample salsa, was won over!
We were so overwhelmed by the yummy-sounding menu choices, we did something we very rarely do: we ordered an appetizer to share. We went with the Botana - a sampling of Mexican favorites: chicken tostado, Chilorio sope (marinated pork), and cheese empanada. I think we mostly just moaned in joy and appreciation from that point on. I simply dont have words for how amazing the flavors were in both the appetizer items and the main dishes. For entrees, Leo had chicken tenders with sautéed green beans and he proclaimed those green beans the best hes EVER had! I went with the Puerco en Salsa de Mole Negro - roasted pork tenderloin with mole negro sauce, served with esquites (roasted corn), sweet potato mash, and sautéed vegetables. Gramma chose the Pescado a la Talla - grilled tilapia served with esquites (roasted corn), nopales (cactus leaves) and mango chutney. For the table, our server brought out bowls of rice and black beans.
Seriously, we were so loaded up with food, it was ridiculous. You could have fed a small nation with what was on our table. Or you could eat less than half of the entrees and enjoy the leftovers the next day, which we did! Have I mentioned how much we loved having a kitchen?
And yes, we also caved in to temptation and had some dessert. Leo discovered the joy that is a churro, Gramma had something chocolaty and I had a few bites of each while finishing my margarita.
Really, if theres a heaven, I hope its catered by La Hacienda.
This just might have knocked Tutto out of the top spot for our favorite WDW eatery and I cant wait to go back again!
After dinner, we bundled up, gathered our gazillion bags of toys, caramel treats and leftover Mexican food and decided to go back to the condo. The plan had been to stay for Illuminations, but no one was feeling the pyrotechnic love that night. We were all warm and full from dinner and not one of us cherished the thought of becoming progressively colder as we stood outdoors waiting for Illuminations to start.
Instead, we made our way back to the car, still parked at the Ticket and Transportation Center form that morning, and drove back to the Reunion condo. With nothing planned for the next morning, there was no rushing through showers and pre-bedtime procedures; rather, we watched a movie, did some more laundry (whee!), and just plain r e l a x e d.
I think if I could create the Perfect Disney World Day, it might come very, very close to the day Ive just described. For the first time in a long time, I went to bed on a WDW vacation feeling unhurried, well-rested, unencumbered by malicious thoughts about mean-spirited crowds, and so very ready to do it all again the next day.
Next: Its time to light the lights!
But I had a little break in the action and got busy with an update. Were up to the fourth night of our five-night trip. Remember that wed spent the morning at the Magic Kingdom and by early afternoon, it was time to dodge the incoming crowds and head for greener pastures Epcot.
Id say that might be the worst metaphor ever, but it actually applies here have you ever noticed just how green Epcot is? Ive long thought all those stretches of unnaturally green grass are what make my heart melt for Epcot. Im especially partial to the grassy knoll (NO Kevin Costner) near the entrance to the Living Seas. Aside from just being pretty, thats also where Leo learned to walk!
Anyway, we hopped a monorail to Epcot (EP) and watched the crowds disappear behind us as we whizzed over to the much easier and slower pace of Future World. There were probably lots of people there, too, and likely some long waits for rides but we had other plans that called for a leisurely pace and some new experiences. Our only real etched-in-stone plan was dinner. But Ill get to that in a bit.
We decided to wander about Innoventions, since we usually skip it in favor of rides. We looked in the window of the Velcro show, but it wasnt calling us. The Great Piggybank Adventure, however, was.
The Great Piggybank Adventure was very cool and I highly recommend it! Basically, the idea is to show folks how to invest and save wisely. Its sponsored by T. Rowe Price, but really, the product placement was minimal and our attention was very focused on the game.
To begin, we were provided with our Piggy, who wed move from station to station, determining a goal for our savings and then navigating savings strategies and pitfalls.
We chose to save for a vacation (of course!) on a warm, sunny beach. Given that we live less than five miles from a warm, sunny beach, we thought this was a pretty easy one to nail.
We were mistaken.
Sadly, I must report that the Great Piggybank Adventure showed us for what we are: a family of not particularly savvy investors who prefer safety over risk and probably spend more on vacations than we should. Oh well. It was a lot of fun and didnt tell us anything we didnt already know, so it was a winner all the way around!
And we were then ready for an over-priced shopping tour of World Showcase.
We bought Leo a Transformers/PowerRangers/Pokemon something or other in Japan, strolled the alleys of Morocco, and waved to our peeps at Tutto before descending upon the Germany pavilion to drop some serious change on food.
Yes, food. And wine. Not to be confused with my annual day at the Epcot Food & Wine Fest at which serious change is dropped in every pavilion.
This time, it was in only two spots: the Werthers shop and the Ghluewine cart. I think stupid Werthers has me addicted to their caramel and chocolate dipped pretzel rods; just the other day I found myself considering a day trip to WDW just for those pretzel rods.
But at least I can count on the pretzel rods being there in the future. The Ghluewine, however, is a seasonal delicacy and had to be partaken of while in the right season. If youve not sampled it, Ghluewine is a somewhat sweet (but not overly so Im a dry wine person and Ghluewine doesnt make me melt) red wine thats served hot, like tea. Its absolutely perfect for a crisp, cool afternoon and it went down very nicely, thank you very much!
We all sat on a bench, out by the edge of the lake, me sipping my wine while Gramma and Leo munched on some Werthers treats. It was just about perfect; the sun was low in the sky, dappling Epcot in shadow and warm, golden light, and we were content to sit a spell and enjoy the company of each other. We dont often have those opportunities in our daily lives, and we never seem to during summer WDW trips. Thats a big difference between our summer and winter times at WDW and Id plumb forgotten about it until that moment. I vowed to myself then and there that wed spend some more winter quality time in the House of Mouse in future years. And, Im signed up to do just that.
We eventually began making our way over toward the Mexico pavilion, stopping along the way for a final viewing of the Dragon Acrobats in the China pavilion. Theyre ending their contract with Disney, this month I think, and wont be back. Weve enjoyed watching them for years and will miss them, but hope theyre moving on to better gigs.
Finally, we made it to our end destination: La Hacienda de San Angel, Epcots new table service/ counter service establishment that took the place of the old Cantina. Aesthetically, the Disney folks did a superb job; the waterfront never looked better over there. The exterior of the building is lovely but unobtrusive; its not fighting for attention with the pyramid, but holds its own with saffron colored stucco, terracotta tiled overhangs and wrought iron embellishments. It looks like things will be dark inside
... which makes the experience of entering the dining room all the neater the interior was absolutely bathed in the light of sunset! A long row of windows overlooks the lake and seating is tiered, so that everyone gets a nice view.
This was taken from our table. We were the furthest away from the windows, in a raised semi-circular booth. It was perfect!
Know what else was perfect at La Hacienda? The service. And the drinks. And the food. And the everything.
Our server knew his stuff; he didnt just recommend things for us, he took the time to ask what types of flavors we enjoy and paired us with food and drink selections that seemed tailor-made for our unique tastes. I began with a Guava margarita that I feared would be overly fruity and sweet and I was blissfully mistaken. It was quite possibly the best margarita Ive ever tasted! Gramma gave excellent reviews on her glass of white wine, too. A basket of fresh, crisp tortilla chips and a couple of salsa options come standard and, frankly, could have been a light meal themselves with a side salad. They were that good. Even Leo, who previously had refused to sample salsa, was won over!
We were so overwhelmed by the yummy-sounding menu choices, we did something we very rarely do: we ordered an appetizer to share. We went with the Botana - a sampling of Mexican favorites: chicken tostado, Chilorio sope (marinated pork), and cheese empanada. I think we mostly just moaned in joy and appreciation from that point on. I simply dont have words for how amazing the flavors were in both the appetizer items and the main dishes. For entrees, Leo had chicken tenders with sautéed green beans and he proclaimed those green beans the best hes EVER had! I went with the Puerco en Salsa de Mole Negro - roasted pork tenderloin with mole negro sauce, served with esquites (roasted corn), sweet potato mash, and sautéed vegetables. Gramma chose the Pescado a la Talla - grilled tilapia served with esquites (roasted corn), nopales (cactus leaves) and mango chutney. For the table, our server brought out bowls of rice and black beans.
Seriously, we were so loaded up with food, it was ridiculous. You could have fed a small nation with what was on our table. Or you could eat less than half of the entrees and enjoy the leftovers the next day, which we did! Have I mentioned how much we loved having a kitchen?
And yes, we also caved in to temptation and had some dessert. Leo discovered the joy that is a churro, Gramma had something chocolaty and I had a few bites of each while finishing my margarita.
Really, if theres a heaven, I hope its catered by La Hacienda.
This just might have knocked Tutto out of the top spot for our favorite WDW eatery and I cant wait to go back again!After dinner, we bundled up, gathered our gazillion bags of toys, caramel treats and leftover Mexican food and decided to go back to the condo. The plan had been to stay for Illuminations, but no one was feeling the pyrotechnic love that night. We were all warm and full from dinner and not one of us cherished the thought of becoming progressively colder as we stood outdoors waiting for Illuminations to start.
Instead, we made our way back to the car, still parked at the Ticket and Transportation Center form that morning, and drove back to the Reunion condo. With nothing planned for the next morning, there was no rushing through showers and pre-bedtime procedures; rather, we watched a movie, did some more laundry (whee!), and just plain r e l a x e d.
I think if I could create the Perfect Disney World Day, it might come very, very close to the day Ive just described. For the first time in a long time, I went to bed on a WDW vacation feeling unhurried, well-rested, unencumbered by malicious thoughts about mean-spirited crowds, and so very ready to do it all again the next day.
Next: Its time to light the lights!
La Hacienda sounds fabulous. Do they have some plain things like tacos and nachos for the less adventurous people in my household? 
Thanks for coming along again!
We hadn't seen any of the movies, short of the most recent, in quite a while and I can't tell you how many times that day I said, "I wish we'd have done a HP movie marathon first!"
