Why don't we do a little day drinking? - F&W 2015 - Update 12/11 Bonus EPCOT Night!

[Mom2m&k]

Yay for lots of updates! So much fun that you got to just pop down for a quick trip. I can't get over the guilt of leaving my kids behind but I would love to someday take a trip with just my hubby!

 

[Dis_Yoda]

I had to laugh out loud of this. Out of context, you order "my money" is hilarious to my 12 year old self

This is small!!!! Looks huge and delicious

I know! If I had know it was going to be that much I would have just got a roll and maybe a piece or two.

We had the same trouble at Raglan with a long, long, long wait. Unfortunately despite my repeated attempts no person of power was anywhere near us

I purposely was standing right by the front desk with the ultimate resting b face after about 15 minutes as I was tired and just wanted my ribs and to go to bed.

I'm dying to try these one of these days.

They are my favorite dish at Raglan Road! Super tender, the right amount of sticky sauce. Totally enough for me to have for dinner or a good amount to share for an appetizer among people.

Yay for lots of updates! So much fun that you got to just pop down for a quick trip. I can't get over the guilt of leaving my kids behind but I would love to someday take a trip with just my hubby!

Maybe once your children get a bit older you won't feel as guilty Living so close totally has its perks!

 

[Dis_Yoda]

Sluggish

I woke up naturally a little after 6AM and got ready to start my 8 Mile Run. I realized I had left my headphones at home so there was no way I was going to attempt 8 Miles on a treadmill unless I wanted to stab someone. I started running out of the hotel, into Disney Springs & Saratoga Springs. I may have also gotten lost a few times. I also hit a wall after about 2.6 miles and felt a pain developing in my left ankle. I decided to call it quits then and head back to the hotel. In all, I accomplished a 3.22 mile run instead of 8.

Inside of Hotel

View During Run

Guide Back To Hotel - aka blast from the past

Horrible Run!

Back at the room, I took a shower and realized I wanted real food for breakfast. Doing a quick dining reservation search, I discovered Captain’s Grill still had openings for breakfast and I made it for about 45 minutes later. Once I was presentable to the world & packed my purse to be in the parks most of the day, I headed to the Yacht Club to enjoy my breakfast and was immediately sat.

Yacht Club Lobby

I wasn’t going to go for the buffet as it was $24 and I wasn’t that hungry. Upon review, I actually went with something different than I thought I would. I also ordered a mimosa because why not? My grits were super creamy with chunks of the cheese still gooey throughout. This made me really happy. The pulled pork belly also was a nice touch but it wasn’t a lot of meat so I’m glad I also got a side of bacon to have with it.​

Captain’s Grille Menu

Mimosa

Tillamook Cheese Grits & Poached Eggs - Pulled Pork Belly, Wilted Spinach, Artisan Bread Crostini & Bacon Vinaigrette - W/O Poached Eggs

Side of Bacon​

 

[Dis_Yoda]

EPCOT Rides

After breakfast, I headed to EPCOT and went straight to The Land to see what the wait for Soarin was.

With a short wait like that, I got in line and was soon on my way over California. There was zero wait for Living With The Land so I went on this ride as well.

I went on Figment and then just killed some time until it was time for the booths to open!

 

[Dis_Yoda]

More Booths

At 10:40AM, Chew Lab opened for business. I wanted to finally try the Smoking Hibiscus as one of my friends had told me I would love it! I did! Visually, it was great and taste wise, I enjoyed it. Probably won’t get it again as there are other cocktails I also enjoy as well though.

The Smoking Hibiscus Feature Montelobos Mezcal Joven

Once I was done, I headed towards the booths in front of the Refreshment Port & noticed that the other booths were now opening up even though it wasn’t quite 11AM yet. I got another favorite from earlier in October at Desserts & Champagne since I didn’t have to share this time around

Cream Soda Float w/ Caramel Ice Cream

In Mexico, I went with the other option since I struck out the first time around. The taco was exactly what I wanted!

Tacos de camaron: Battered Shrimp, Pico De Gallo, Pickled ONions & Chipotle Mayonnaise

In China, I also got some different items than our earlier visits. The Black Pepper Shrimp has been around the festival for many years and it was always one of the items I’ve enjoyed. This time around didn’t disappoint either! The kung fu punch was also a nice refreshing beverage

Black Pepper Shrimp w/ Sichuan Noodles & Kung Fu Punch with vodka & triple sec

Getting an item in Italy ended up being a waste as once I had the first ravioli, I realized I really wasn’t in the mood for this. I felt bad wasting it but threw it away as I didn’t want to overdo it for myself.

Ravioli alla Caprese: Cheese Ravioli, tomato sauce, mozzarella, parmesan & basil

In America, I actually headed to the Chase Lounge to get the wristband for the 8:00PM Everclear concert as I had heard that they give them out for every concert.

The Real Reason Why I Was Here

Wristband From Chase Lounge

I spent a little bit of time in the Lounge and realized I was dragging and relaxed for a while.

Eventually, I headed to France & teased my husband with sending him a picture of my visit to his favorite place with my single scoop of ice cream.

Single Scoop of Lemon w/ Crispy Meringues

He wasn’t happy with that I walked back to the front of the park & got my favorite item of the festival for another helping!

Cheese Studio

Cheese Fondue with Sourdough Bread​

 

[Dis_Yoda]

Naptime

I was hitting a wall with energy at this point. I decided to enjoy some various low-key attraction, two of which that could involve quick naps if I wanted. The first was Captain EO. I'm glad I did this now especially since they just announced its going away forever in December!

The next was Universe of Energy!

Perfect Napping Spot

Keegan!

I then headed to the Living Seas for a visit to Crush & Nemo and then relaxed around with Spaceship Earth

I still had some time to kill before the initial concert so I headed back to the Chase Lounge to charge my cell phone and hang out outside of the sun along with also changing part of my clothes to feel refreshed. I actually ran into @ehagerty and spent some time talking to her and her son & she took this lovely photo of me:

 

[tnbrowne2004]

I love your updates! I just got back on Friday and am in serious post Disney vacation depression. Before we left I couldn't read some of your posts because I didn't want to spoil the Hide and Squeak with Remy challenge but now that I am back I am all caught up. Very interested in hearing what you and your husband thought of the 'half marathon' and after party ( I still had a good time). I miss the watermelon mimosas at the Dawa Bar at Animal Kingdom. Please post soon!

 

[Dis_Yoda]

I love your updates! I just got back on Friday and am in serious post Disney vacation depression. Before we left I couldn't read some of your posts because I didn't want to spoil the Hide and Squeak with Remy challenge but now that I am back I am all caught up. Very interested in hearing what you and your husband thought of the 'half marathon' and after party ( I still had a good time). I miss the watermelon mimosas at the Dawa Bar at Animal Kingdom. Please post soon!

I totally get the post Disney Vacation Depression! I had that after Trip #1. Hopefully you had an overall wonderful trip & that you got to find all the Remys throughout the World Showcase. Italy was totally the most difficult to find was it not?

The Wine & Dine Half was definitely an interesting experience. As Floridians, we totally get why they had to do what they did and were trying to make the best decisions for the safety of everyone involved. (Our property has been hit by lightning 3 separate times since we bought it in March 2013 - twice to the transformer & once to a neighbor's tree) I still had a great time at the after party but we didn't stay until the end. From what I'm reading the people that ended around the balloon ladies had a totally different experience than those that finished around midnight.

 

[Dis_Yoda]

Fangirling

I was able to get in the front row of the right hand side of the stage using my FP+ for the 5:30PM show. At 5:00PM, the vocal group they had on stage during the afternoon was up so they passed the time until the main event for me!

After the first 30 minute set where they played all of their main radio hits (Wonderful, Father of Mine, AM Radio, Brown Eyed Girls, etc) I headed to Tokyo Dining early to try to get my dinner through and maybe attempt to catch the 6:45PM show as well. All my food was excellent!

Cherry Blossom Martini - Sake, Plum Wine, Cranberry Juice & Soda

Spicy Crunch Roll - Spicy Salmon & Tuna Mix, Tempura Crunch, Green Onion & Sesame Seed

Shibuya - Tempura Chicken & Shrimp Combination served with Sunomono, Noodle Salad & Sukiyaki Beef Rice

Last Use of 2015’s Tables In Wonderland Card

With the timing of it all, I had missed the beginning of the 6:45PM show but I was able to get a seat towards the back. The set list was almost the same as the first performance.

Right after this set got over with, I waited in the Chase area to be sat once the theatre was cleared and loved the seats I got! Made for much better photos and videos this time around!

What I did love is that at the end, he came off stage to sign a record for the family sitting next to me who had a daughter bound to a wheelchair. This was followed by him shaking the hand of another girl in a similar situation. It was so sweet!

After this completed, I walked out of a dark EPCOT before Illuminations started and headed back to the hotel to relax and eventually go to bed. It was a long day at EPCOT for me being there from opening to almost close! I’m not made for that anymore. It was very much worth it though to get to watch one of my favorite bands play 3 sets even with it being the same songs at each set but it was exactly the relaxation and mental escape I needed.

 

[tnbrowne2004]

I totally get the post Disney Vacation Depression! I had that after Trip #1. Hopefully you had an overall wonderful trip & that you got to find all the Remys throughout the World Showcase. Italy was totally the most difficult to find was it not?

The Wine & Dine Half was definitely an interesting experience. As Floridians, we totally get why they had to do what they did and were trying to make the best decisions for the safety of everyone involved. (Our property has been hit by lightning 3 separate times since we bought it in March 2013 - twice to the transformer & once to a neighbor's tree) I still had a great time at the after party but we didn't stay until the end. From what I'm reading the people that ended around the balloon ladies had a totally different experience than those that finished around midnight.

I did have a wonderful vacation. I totally understand why they had to do what they did at the race and I was happy I still go the medal and my coast to coast medal too. We didn't stay for the whole after party either but when we were there it wasn't crowded at all but I had finished around midnight, but from reading reviews I guess it got insanely crowded later in the night/morning. We did find all the Remy's and for some reason the hardest one we found to find was the Outpost, it took us 3 days of looking and then all the sudden my husband was just sitting down and glanced up and spotted him.

 

[momabaarjo]

I love your idea of naptime in WDW!

That Cherry Blossom Martini looks great!

Yay for finding all the Remy's!!!!

I am really not holding out for doing much at the W&D After Party next. I know I will be coming in the later waves, so it will be insanely crowded I am sure. Hoping just for a good glass of bubbly and 1 thing indulgent!

 

[franandaj]

All caught up again. I know what it's like to be able to catch a quick trip to Disney, but I wish our parks involved F&W still. You can't just go snack on a QS meal unless you bring three friends who all split it with you. The choices all looked so good. You REALLY liked that cheese fondue!

 

[kastoney]

Looks like a wonderful day of food and music. Your grits at Yacht Club look delicious (especially if I could have an egg with it). Gonna have to add that one to the list. And so jealous of another round of food and wine. Looks like we may get to do flower and garden so I can at least partake in a smaller version of it. So happy you got to see Everclear. Loved them back in my college days when we would both listen to and drink everclear simultaneously ; )

 

[Dis_Yoda]

I did have a wonderful vacation. I totally understand why they had to do what they did at the race and I was happy I still go the medal and my coast to coast medal too. We didn't stay for the whole after party either but when we were there it wasn't crowded at all but I had finished around midnight, but from reading reviews I guess it got insanely crowded later in the night/morning. We did find all the Remy's and for some reason the hardest one we found to find was the Outpost, it took us 3 days of looking and then all the sudden my husband was just sitting down and glanced up and spotted him.

Glad you had a great vacation!

We didn't catch the Outpost Remy either on first glance around the area but once we ordered our drink, he totally popped out!

My husband finished around the same time as you which is why we probably had a different experience than those that finished way later. My husband was really happy they still let him get his coast to coast as that is what would have upset him more than not getting the wine & dine as that is why he did this race.

I love your idea of naptime in WDW!

That Cherry Blossom Martini looks great!

Yay for finding all the Remy's!!!!

I am really not holding out for doing much at the W&D After Party next. I know I will be coming in the later waves, so it will be insanely crowded I am sure. Hoping just for a good glass of bubbly and 1 thing indulgent!

That is park naptime. I seem to only visit Universe of Energy when I want a nice long enjoyable cool spot for a while. It is never crowded and I can always get a full row to myself to laydown if need be. I think the opinions on the after party just differ on what you are expecting - kinda the same reason on how to handle EPCOT on a Saturday at Food & Wine. Yes, there will be lines. Yes, there will be some drunks. Yes, there will be some cranky people. If you go in not expecting it to be exactly how you want it, you should be fine. Its also how I handle my opinions of Disney on Major US Holidays - I've done that multiple times and still find myself having a wonderful time!

The Cherry Blossom Martini was great!

All caught up again. I know what it's like to be able to catch a quick trip to Disney, but I wish our parks involved F&W still. You can't just go snack on a QS meal unless you bring three friends who all split it with you. The choices all looked so good. You REALLY liked that cheese fondue!

I really don't know why they cancelled your F&W especially with being such a heavy local park in comparison to WDW. Disneyland QS totally beats WDW QS though as you have so many wonderful options we don't seem to have. (I'm working on making my dining reservations for Disneyland now for January)

I did really like the cheese fondue. This trip wasn't the last time I had it either I think when I post my festival wrap up - you will already know my winner of the festival.

Looks like a wonderful day of food and music. Your grits at Yacht Club look delicious (especially if I could have an egg with it). Gonna have to add that one to the list. And so jealous of another round of food and wine. Looks like we may get to do flower and garden so I can at least partake in a smaller version of it. So happy you got to see Everclear. Loved them back in my college days when we would both listen to and drink everclear simultaneously ; )

It was a wonderful day of food & music. The grits this day were amazing! I actually went to Whole Foods this weekend to buy 'fancy' grits and attempt to remake it this weekend for me with lots and lots of cheddar. That's great you will be able to do Flower & Garden this year! It really is a nice 'mini' Food & Wine Festival. This past year had some great options that my husband and I loved, especially the burnt end hash in America! Oh my Everclear & Everclear! I've never done that but I could imagine that would be a wonderful time back in college. Back in my college days, we just did drinking games with whatever we were watching on TV or with whatever Video Game we were playing. I remember the 2004 President Election and I was like out by 10PM thanks to the words we had selected.

 

[Dis_Yoda]

Going Home

I woke up around 6:00AM and headed out. I realized I took no pictures of the room so here are some:

I totally would stay there again over All Stars for a cheap weekend trip!

I had been craving Krispy Kreme for a few months but haven’t dealt with it. I ended up stopping by the one in Kissimmee for a few donuts to enjoy over the next couple of days.

The chocolate with sprinkles was exactly what I wanted for breakfast this morning

The rest of the ride home was uneventful as it should be and I made it in time for my yoga class at 10AM! The unpacking wasn’t a huge deal as I would be back in only 4 days.​

 

[Dis_Yoda]

Arrival For Final F&W Season Trip

I’ll start this update with what was actually accomplished on November 4th. When I got home from work, I was happy to see the Sparkle Skirt I had ordered had arrived as it was part of what I wanted to wear for the Jingle Jungle 5K:

I then hurriedly got the dogs into the car to get to the kennel before they closed at 6:00PM.

I finished all the laundry and packing once I got home and even got in a 1.34 mile run outside despite all what was going on.

Fast forward to the 5th -

I got to work and I was having one of those days where I had a migraine all day despite the amount of medication I took, it wouldn’t go away. Luckily, my husband was going to drive up to Disney and I was going to drive home. I took my stuffed Stitch and cuddled it in the front seat for a nap for the first 45 minutes of our drive. When I woke up, my husband and I got into a fight as apparently he didn’t want to be driving either as he didn’t feel well and he stole my stuffed animal I had used as a pillow.

The rest of the ride to the Beach Club wasn’t really pleasant.

Luckily, I had received the email that our room was ready and we could completely bypass the front desk and head straight to the room upon arrival. We were in a great ‘standard’ view room as we actually could still see the lake and a quiet courtyard on our small balcony (which didn’t matter to us) We got settled and by 6:45PM, we were on our way over to the Yacht Club to have dinner at Crew’s Cup since it would be an easy meal without an ADR. My husband was hungry & still cranky and I still didn’t feel hot either.

I started with a beer as we reviewed the small menu on our choices. It was a nice light wheat.

Funky Buddha Floridian

My husband went with a basic cheeseburger for his dinner. He quickly made it all disappear so I’m going to say he really enjoyed it.

Angus Chuck Cheeseburger - Served w/ French Fries

The crispy onion arrangement was super crispy and nicely fried! We didn’t finish them but we did enjoy the ones we had!

Crispy Onion Arrangement - w/ Sweet & Spicy Creole Mustard Sauce

I definitely won on the entree selection though. The risotto was super creamy with enough corn for flavor but not enough that it overpowered the risotto. The short rib was super tender and flavorful. If I wasn’t in public, I would have licked the plate clean!

Cabernet-Braised Short Rib w/ Creamy Corn Risotto

After our nice meal, my husband wanted ice cream (I’m sure you all are shocked, I know I am ) Luckily, on our walk back from Crew’s Cup to the hotel, we would pass Beaches & Cream. You are able to order the full sundaes despite not being on the ice cream shoppe board for the to-go side so we both took advantage of that.

Milky Way Sundae - Three Scoops of Vanilla, Hot Fudge, Caramel & Whipped Cream Topped w/ Dark & White Chocolate Shavings & a Cherry

Fudge Mud Slide - A Gooey, Chewy Brown Covered w/ Hot Fudge, Three Scoops of Vanilla Ice Cream, Oreo Cookies & Whipped Cream Topped w/ CHocolate Syrup & a Cherry

If you want people to stare at you while you walk around the Beach Club back to your hotel room, carry Beaches & Cream Sundaes. We got so many comments during that short walk across the lobby to the elevators to the 3rd floor. Once in the room, we enjoyed our sundaes while we watched Big Bang Theory, Life In Pieces & Mom before we headed to bed at 9:30PM. We didn’t set an alarm as we figured we would naturally wake up by 7:00AM to start our day.​

 

[Lindsay22]

I've been reading your report for a while now but had to post because I have that same Sparkle Skirt! I wore it for a race near me that same weekend and LOVE IT (i'll be wearing it during marathon weekend too!)

 

[franandaj]

Your TR influenced my dinner last night! Tuesdays we usually drive through as much as I hate it, but I had them drop me off at an Asian fast food place and I got a spicy tuna roll and mixed tempura. After they got Wendy's they picked me back up and we went on our way.

They claimed it was all the construction (Carsland, Buena Vista Street,etc) I'd why they cancelled it, bit I'm sure it didn't hit the money making goals they had. Now they have the Mad Tea Party. Twenty somethings pay inflated prices for drinks and it's not a lot of work.

I agree we have some great QS places, I have been enjoying them a lot more lately with more quick day trips. PM me if you would like me to set you up with any reservations.

I hate when you have those little "episodes" they happen to everyone occasionally but it never makes for pleasant travel experiences. Beaches and Cream keeps popping up in so many TRs and taunting me. I am so glad that I have a reservation there next month!

 

[kastoney]

Can't believe your back again. Looks like you're off to a great food note. Your crew cup short ribs especially looks amazing. Who knew they were serving food that good. We're staying at Beach Club for the first time next trip so great to know what a good option it is.

 

[Dis_Yoda]

I've been reading your report for a while now but had to post because I have that same Sparkle Skirt! I wore it for a race near me that same weekend and LOVE IT (i'll be wearing it during marathon weekend too!)

Thanks for reading along! That custom group for this skirt was interesting (I left it now that I got my skirt) as it seemed the lack of a real wait list just caused a lot of drama. I loved it for an Animal Kingdom race (my husband however hates it) but to me its perfect for many of the Disney Races & he'll just have to deal! Have fun being Wild at the Marathon Weekend!

Your TR influenced my dinner last night! Tuesdays we usually drive through as much as I hate it, but I had them drop me off at an Asian fast food place and I got a spicy tuna roll and mixed tempura. After they got Wendy's they picked me back up and we went on our way.

They claimed it was all the construction (Carsland, Buena Vista Street,etc) I'd why they cancelled it, bit I'm sure it didn't hit the money making goals they had. Now they have the Mad Tea Party. Twenty somethings pay inflated prices for drinks and it's not a lot of work.

I agree we have some great QS places, I have been enjoying them a lot more lately with more quick day trips. PM me if you would like me to set you up with any reservations.

I hate when you have those little "episodes" they happen to everyone occasionally but it never makes for pleasant travel experiences. Beaches and Cream keeps popping up in so many TRs and taunting me. I am so glad that I have a reservation there next month!

I totally get some days are just Fast Food days. I have the stuff to bring in food for lunch for work daily and yet I just don't some days and it used to be between Subway, Taco Bell & McDonalds as my choices - with those - Taco Bell always won. Luckily now, we had a build out a shopping plaza so we now have Moe's, Five Guys, Tropical Smoothie and a Japanese Take Out to add into the mix of non sit downs.

I hope your tuna roll & tempura were great (and much better than Wendy's )

I have seen some of the stuff about the Mad Tea Party - I like inflated priced drinks usually but it seems like its more a drunken dance party which isn't really my thing.

PM sent

With as much as we travelled this year, we are bound to have an 'episode' from time to time. I know I've seen them in your reports too - I don't sugar coat so you get to see the good & bad in all my trips! Luckily, they have been mostly good this year!

Can't believe your back again. Looks like you're off to a great food note. Your crew cup short ribs especially looks amazing. Who knew they were serving food that good. We're staying at Beach Club for the first time next trip so great to know what a good option it is.

Yup! It's really easy to leave Disney when you know you will be in just a few days. I actually don't want to do back to back weekends often though as its a lot of car time. This past weekend I had zero plans to allow myself to 'catch' up. Good thing that is what I planned as I sprained my ankle and barely moved from the couch all weekend outside of a grocery store run.

The short ribs were amazing! You should love the Beach Club! We don't mind the chance of a small balcony as we never spend time out there most trips (which is why it was odd I used it so much in October)

They also have all the sports games on if you need to watch them too (or you are married to someone that cares)