What did WE celebrate? .. 30 days of Disney fun and food! Update 04/02

[Swalphin]

Hi!
I read your entire report this weekend and I am holding you personally responsible for the 4lbs I am sure I have put on
You really do a great job describing your days, the meals and the pictures are fantastic. So much so I keep having to get up and get a snack, the 4lbs... Thanks for putting so much time into this TR/review it has been really helpful and I now have some new things to try next trip.

 

[basketlacey]

Karin - I love your reviews and I just got caught up on this one!

The carrot cake cookie is one of my favorite treats and a must have on our vacations now that I have tried it.

The cruise(s) looked AMAZING. I have cruised several times but never on Disney CL and never with my kids. I think we need to think about this for 2012.

And Yak and Yeti was our very favorite TS on our last trip. It was great! I had the steak and shrimp, my dh had some sort of fish, my oldest kids had the ribs and fried rice and my youngest had something like a hamburger (LOL). We all LOVEd it. We had the wontons for dessert too!

 

[englishrose47]

That Kona Kone looks perfect for the kids , they would LOVE it !!

 

[Linda67]

The Kona Kone looks so cute

 

[Stefy]

Great Kouzzina and Kona reviews. That is one huge taco!

 

[dalepool]

If you take brussel sprouts and soak in salt water for an hour or so------ it seems to take the bitter away. Can't remember where I read this but i have used this tatic and I have great tasting sprouts all the time now. Let me know how it works for you. I didnt even use that much salt.


Patty

 

[dizneeat]

Kona...yet another place on the list!

So much to eat, so little time!

Hi!
I read your entire report this weekend and I am holding you personally responsible for the 4lbs I am sure I have put on
You really do a great job describing your days, the meals and the pictures are fantastic. So much so I keep having to get up and get a snack, the 4lbs... Thanks for putting so much time into this TR/review it has been really helpful and I now have some new things to try next trip.

I am so sorry for you "weight gain"! But I am real happy to have you here!

I am trying my best with my dining reviews and trip reports. It's not always easy with English being a second language for me.
And I still hope that you will find some great new dining spots for your next trip!
Oh, by the way - there's lots more to come!

Karin - I love your reviews and I just got caught up on this one!

The carrot cake cookie is one of my favorite treats and a must have on our vacations now that I have tried it.

The cruise(s) looked AMAZING. I have cruised several times but never on Disney CL and never with my kids. I think we need to think about this for 2012.

And Yak and Yeti was our very favorite TS on our last trip. It was great! I had the steak and shrimp, my dh had some sort of fish, my oldest kids had the ribs and fried rice and my youngest had something like a hamburger (LOL). We all LOVEd it. We had the wontons for dessert too!

Hi! Great you are caught up - there is more to come!

I saw a photo of the carrot cake cookie here on the DISboards and HAD to hunt it down - boy that is one yummy cookie!

We have only cruised on DCL! And for someone who said that our 2009 cruise would be a once in a lifetime experience we are doing pretty well, pushing into gold members at the Castaway Cay Club after just 2 years!

Yak and Yeti has always been one of our favourites, right from the start! Can't beat yum food and fun setting!

That Kona Kone looks perfect for the kids , they would LOVE it !!

It would be perfect for Kyle! (and the girls!) ......... but Rosie, I guess you might like it as well!

 

[dizneeat]

The Kona Kone looks so cute

It's cute and good - the perfect combination!

Great Kouzzina and Kona reviews. That is one huge taco!

Thank you Stefy! I really love salad but that thing was huge and so was the taco shell!

If you take brussel sprouts and soak in salt water for an hour or so------ it seems to take the bitter away. Can't remember where I read this but i have used this tatic and I have great tasting sprouts all the time now. Let me know how it works for you. I didnt even use that much salt.


Patty

Hm, I have never heard of that, but then we are used to eating them the way they are. We never buy them fresh, I always use the frozen ones and I don't find the brand we buy here to be very bitter.
But thanks for the tip - I might pick up some fresh ones and try it out!

 

[dizneeat]

Day 22, September 4

A snack with friends at Beaches and Cream

After our lunch at the Kona Cafe we made our way back to the car and drove over to OKW for a very short break before we drove to the Beach Club Resort to meet our friends Mary Ellen and Joe, who had just arrived this morning.

It is one of our traditions to meet and have our first "meal" together at Beaches and Cream, usually we go for a Kitchen Sink but Tom and I were stuffed from lunch and Mary Ellen and Joe had just had a snack.

So we settled for something different.

Joe had his favourite - a Hot Fudge Sundae! He really loves them and kind of "inhales" them. I think he finished first even though we all got our treats at the same time!

Mary Ellen and I had these sweet little treats - Mickey Mouse Sundaes!!
Mary Ellen had Vanilla and I had my favouite - Mint Chocolate Chip!

They were nearly too cute to eat! Well, we DID eat them in the end.

Tom just had a Diet Coke! He could not take any more sweets right there and then!

We went back to Mary Ellen and Joe's resort - the Wilderness Lodge and had a look at their room. It was right in the "bearface" and close to the lobby!

We had Free Disney Dining Plan which we had upgraded to the DxDDP. We booked through the British Disney Travel company and the cost for nine nights and 2 people was ....... 270 British Pounds = 420 $

So, we paid 420$ (difference between DDP and DxDDP) for 9 days of DxDDP!

How much did we actually cost Disney?
54 dining credits
36 snack credits
Kona Cafe ...... 69,60 (2 DC ......... 42 DC remain)
2 Refillable Mugs ...... 29,80
AK snack stand ...... 4,80 (2 snack credits ......... 30 snack credits remain)
Cost altogether ..... 527,50 $

420$ - 527,50 $ = 107,50 $

Next up - Dinner at Jiko

 

[klacey1]

Those little sundaes are adorable!! Love the Oreo ears! Can't wait to hear about Jiko!

 

[dizneeat]

Those little sundaes are adorable!! Love the Oreo ears! Can't wait to hear about Jiko!

Thank you! The sundaes were just right! ....... and yummy too!

Jiko is coming right up!

 

[dizneeat]

Day 22, September 4

Dinner at Jiko - Part 1

In the evening we met with Mary Ellen and Joe at the Animal Kingdom Lodge for dinner at Jiko.

We were seated 2 minutes after we had signed in!

Since Tom and I were on the Deluxe DDP and that came with appetizer we decided to share 2 flatbreads with Mary Ellen and Joe.

One of them was the Grilled Flank Steak - with Manchego cheese, caramelized onions, arugula and berbere sour cream, which was very tasty. The beef was really tender and the arugula and sauce on top gave it such a fresh taste.

The other was the Barbecue Chicken Flatbread - with Apple-Jicama slaw, African barbecue sauce, and four cheeses. Another very nice flatbread, but very different to the other one. The slaw gave it a boost and lightened it a bit, but it was rather heavy with all that cheese.
We were lucky there were four of us to polish it off, otherwise this would have easily been enough for a main course.

Next we were served a basket of bread, can't remember what kind, but it was quite nice and "different", to what we are used to.

There was also some spiced butter to go with it.

For my main course I chose the Oak-Grilled Filet Mignon - with mac and cheese and red wine sauce. I have always been intrigued on how mac and cheese, which are not common here in Austria and filet and red wine sauce go together.
To be honest, the filet was to die for. A light smokey flavour and melt in your mouth tender - yummy. I needed to get used to the thought of pasta with a filet, but it was okay - I am not a fan of mac and cheese. I think it is something you need to grow up with. This was our second attempt at them and even though they were not bad, they are nothing I would order again. The red wine sauce was out of this world good! I really loved it!

Tom decided on the Seared Barbarie Duck Breast, with polenta and (I think it was) red wine and plum sauce. I didn't even notice it, but lateron Tom told me that the server had come to him and told him that they were out of duck and would he mind pork loin. No, he didn't mind.
I tried a bite and it was delish. The pork melted in your mouth and the polenta was so creamy and velvety!

 

[dizneeat]

Day 22, September 4

Dinner at Jiko - Part 2

I took photos of the dessert menu as it was new at that time.

Tom got some pressed pot coffee, which the server told us was included with our meal, since we only had had soda!

My tea was included as well! Love a good cup of Earl Grey after dinner! Well, to be honest, I love it any time of the day!

For dessert I decided on Chocolate overload! Tarzanian Chocolate, Chery and chocolate - Chocolate cremeux with chocolate crunch, chocolate-cherry mascarpone and cocoa nibs. This chocolate lover was in chocolate heaven! Only downside, as small as the dessert may look - it is more than what it looks like. I finished about half of it before I had to give up! What a shame!

Mary Ellen got the Cheesecake and Blueberries - creamy cheesecake with lemon curd, blueberry coulis, blueberry compote and sesame "bee sting", which she enjoyed very much - she is a cheesecake "kind of" girl!

Tom had the South African Spice Cake. Layered Spice Cake with Pistachio Frangipan, Amarule White Chocolate-Mousse and Caramel. A very good choice I have to say. Flavours went well together and it was just the right dessert after such a huge meal.

We had Free Disney Dining Plan which we had upgraded to the DxDDP. We booked through the British Disney Travel company and the cost for nine nights and 2 people was ....... 270 British Pounds = 420 $

So, we paid 420$ (difference between DDP and DxDDP) for 9 days of DxDDP!

How much did we actually cost Disney?
54 dining credits
36 snack credits
Jiko ...... 145,90 (4 DC ......... 38 DC remain)
2 Refillable Mugs ...... 29,80
AK snack stand ...... 4,80 (2 snack credits ......... 30 snack credits remain)
Cost altogether ..... 673,40 $

420$ - 673,40 $ = 253,40 $

Next up - Breakfast at Wolfgang PUck's Express

 

[Linda67]

Morning Karin

You have just got me very excited about our Jiko ADR

I know that DH would love that Pork dish and I already have my eye on the Cheesecake

 

[dizneeat]

Morning Karin

You have just got me very excited about our Jiko ADR

I know that DH would love that Pork dish and I already have my eye on the Cheesecake

Yeah for Jiko!!

You made some very good choices there with the pork and cheesecake - let's see what you decide on in the end!

 

[cbg1027]

That Kona Cone looks like a child's dream dessert.

Oooo I love Jiko! One of my favorites! Sorry you weren't in to the mac n cheese. Next time you go you can have the filet again, they serve it with a potato dish now so you might like that better.

 

[dizneeat]

That Kona Cone looks like a child's dream dessert.

Oooo I love Jiko! One of my favorites! Sorry you weren't in to the mac n cheese. Next time you go you can have the filet again, they serve it with a potato dish now so you might like that better.

Yip! The Kona Kone is a perfect dessert for every child - and it brings out the kid in you!

I should have known what to expect with the Mac and Cheese. We had had some before at BlueZoo and didn't like them either. I think they are something you need to grow up with, like some of our foods here. Guess there are a few things you would have a hard time trying, and we love them.

Actually I am quite looking forward to the filet again - I have checked their menu and they are serving it with a yum sounding potato gratin now!

 

[Stefy]

Yummy Beaches and Cream, gotta go back there this year for a sundae

Looks like you had a great dinner at Jiko. Our experience last year wasn't very good which was a little disappointing as I had heard great things about the place.

 

[Tinker12]

Wow! What an amazing review! I was able to catch up with you this morning! I'm somewhat jealous of the amount of time you spend in Disney. My DH just becasme a Disney fanatic 4 years ago and we plan to go every year. But of course, we only go for 8 days. This year, we decided to treat ourselves and take a 6 day trip without the kids... (shhhh, don't tell them!)

This trip will give us more time to spend at the restaurants and enjoy them. I feel like we are always racing so it will be something different.

Back to the jealousy of all your trips! Congrats on the Feb trip and I hope you enjoy! I will keep checking back to see the updated review here!

 

[englishrose47]

The desserts everywhere look yummy and so does that steak !!I too would prefer potatoes with steak !!!