Why Not Just Queue Up Another Disney Trip? Link to New TR 6/24 p136!

[MEK]

Continued......

Apparently I was quite fascinated with the santas

and the miniature doll house in the gingerbread house

Oh - and in case you were wondering about the ingredients.....

Moving on from the gingerbread house I took a few more photos

I wandered into one of the shops and sort of lost track of Denny and Nick, but I found some fun garments

Cute shirt, but perhaps I should have straightened it.

When I finally did find Nick and Denny they were outside

I think he was probably texting his GF, being Friday night and all

I tried to take a few outside pics

I like this one

I over edited this one (too late now)

ahhhhh.....much better

Even though it was chilly this pool looked very inviting

I think that's Citricos up there. I am saving that restaurant for a couples trip. I never hear too much about it, but I have been wanting to try it for awhile.

Hello hot tub

I like this one too

Maybe I should post a couple of these on the GF picture thread

I see that Nicholas changed spots

The wall where the *not a DVC resort* is being built

I sure as heck hope I DO get to have some future enjoyment here

With the big barrier being in the way it was hard for me to get any closer to the wedding chapel

Continued in Next Post........

 

[MEK]

Continued.......

When I do get a chance to stay at the *not a DVC resort* I will make certain to enjoy this pool

For some reason I felt compelled to bring my camera in the bathroom and take pictures. this is such a pretty BR

And with that final picture we headed back to the monorail and our ADR at the Cali Grille

But we still had a few minutes to explore the Contemporary

Bonus!!!!! There was a high school (I think) choir performing there

They were really quite good but the acoustics in that part of the building were horrendous and I actually felt bad for them having to perform in such a terrible spot

As a musician it is very frustrating to perform when you know the acoustics stink. It's a disservice to the music and to the performers.

But they did have an audience

Because the sound was terrible and the boys lost interest quickly we left to head up to our ADR a few minutes early.

We were taken up the elevator quickly, but told they were running behind about 20 minutes so we took a seat at the bar. And the second my drink arrived our buzzer went off.

I selected this pumpkin martini

As you can see I wasted no time in tasting it!

For apps we had the California Roll and a flatbread. Denny does not eat sushi so Nick and I shared the Cali Roll. Both the roll and the flat bread were delicious.

Yum!

Double yum!

I actually wanted to order both the sushi and the flat bread for my entree, but since we shared I was then faced with the decision on what to order for dinner. This was a tough one because I didn't feel like eating either fish or beef. Odd.

But I had no trouble deciding on a glass on Conundrum which Cynthia and Tracy turned me on to. I this wine

Denny must have been getting into the picture taking when he suggested I take a picture of the bread.

I took all the dinner pictures with my cell, so they are not the best. This picture gives you an idea of where we were seated. We had a bird's eye view of the chefs at work and BOY did they work. They seriously never slowed down.

So what did I finally decide on......

Well - unfortunately there is no description for this on Allearsnet, but it was a vegetable lasagne which was quite good but VERY rich. Our waiter told me that no one ever finishes it, but I sure gave it a try.

This was Denny's entree

Pacific Halibut - with House-Made shrimp dumpling, stir-fry vegetables, Chinese long beans, shiso broth $39

He liked it but said it was a little too salty.

And Nick had

Florida Snapper - dungeness crab risotto, Zellwood corn, snap peas and sauce choron $39


It's possible that I got Nick and Denny's entrees confused because looking back now I'm not sure who had what. Oh well

But Dessert was easy. Nick decided on

S'Mores Valrhona Chocolate Cake - Warm chocolate cake w/molten center, Tahitian vanilla marshmallow, graham cracker sable, and peanut butter gelato $13

I guess the peppermint bark was seasonal.

Dinner was quite enjoyable. We had an awesome waiter, which seems to be the case at the Cali Grille. Seriously good and very professional.

When dinner was finished we had about 15 minutes to wait until it was time for you know what. We headed to the observation deck and enjoyed the night air.

And with that I will leave you one teaser picture

Up Next.....Wishes!

 

[dawnbu40]

What a wonderful evening you had! WDW is so beautiful at Christmas! I love all the decorations and your pictures are so lovely

Great update!

 

[glennbo123]

Whenver I see the Grand Floridian all I can think about is that lady in Philly a couple of years ago who called 911 and said that she had been abducted, but it turned out she ran off to DisneyWorld and was arrested at the Grand Floridian.

Great shot of the MK from Cali Grill...I can't wait to see your Wishes photos.

 

[IheartDDuck]

Great evening. The GF is one of my favorite resorts to just wander around. And I love the gingerbread house for sure.

I will definitely be staying there when the *ahem* expansion opens up. But I heard it was confirmed it was a DVC resort already?

 

[MEK]

What a wonderful evening you had! WDW is so beautiful at Christmas! I love all the decorations and your pictures are so lovely

It was a great evening. I'm glad we got to spend as much time as we did at the GF. It's such a beautiful resort and I really want to stay there. I had an ulterior motive and that was to leave an impression of the GF in Denny's head for the arrival at the *not a DVC resort*!

Great update!

Thanks!

Whenver I see the Grand Floridian all I can think about is that lady in Philly a couple of years ago who called 911 and said that she had been abducted, but it turned out she ran off to DisneyWorld and was arrested at the Grand Floridian.

She was back in the news the other day. She is definitely a fruitcake, but certainly had good taste in resorts. Still, she must have known she was going to get caught because dropping $500 a night plus rack rate on the GF was going to make her stolen cash disappear pretty fast. Nut job!

Great shot of the MK from Cali Grill...I can't wait to see your Wishes photos.

I promise to post them soon. I have so many that its an update on to itself!

Great evening. The GF is one of my favorite resorts to just wander around. And I love the gingerbread house for sure.

It really is a great place to explore. I think the GF and the AKL would be my two top picks for non park resort stays simply because there is so much to do at both resorts.

I will definitely be staying there when the *ahem* expansion opens up. But I heard it was confirmed it was a DVC resort already?

Was it announced? I didn't know that. Guess I better get my facts straight. Even better if it was announced because that means it is that much closer to opening.

 

[eandesmom]

It was just announced actually, at the DVC annual meeting just in Jan, so you aren't that out of the loop! Funny though, the press release says late 2013 but there are reports that live, she said 2014.

Too funny about Nick and the gingerbread, my first thought would have been of horror as well.

How fun to go see it in all it's glory! Dinner looks super yummy, one of these days I will make it there.

 

[Stringbean&Wingnut]

Isn't the gingerbread house awesome?? I'm glad that you finally got to see it in person!!

Your meal at CG looks wonderful! We did try Citricos on this past trip, and we did really enjoy it! I'll be posting all about it eventually!

 

[Wicket's Mom]

Love the photos of the GF. I told my DH that he was taking me to stay there for our 50th anniversary. That is in 4 years! I was a child bride in case you were wondering.

 

[MEK]

It was just announced actually, at the DVC annual meeting just in Jan, so you aren't that out of the loop! Funny though, the press release says late 2013 but there are reports that live, she said 2014.

I'm glad I'm only a month behind, but boo to 2014! That's too late for my anniversary trip. Oh well. I guess I'll live.

Too funny about Nick and the gingerbread, my first thought would have been of horror as well.

When I saw the picture I freaked because I remembered Melissa's story and I really had to think about what happened because I couldn't remember.

How fun to go see it in all it's glory! Dinner looks super yummy, one of these days I will make it there.

I'm glad I finally made it over to the GF at Christmas. It was lovely.

I am not opposed to eating at the Cali Grille in October and if we do I really will order sushi and a flatbread for dinner.

Isn't the gingerbread house awesome?? I'm glad that you finally got to see it in person!!

It was so cool. It was pretty hard taking pictures of it because there were always people milling around. It really is a work of art. I was so impressed.

Your meal at CG looks wonderful! We did try Citricos on this past trip, and we did really enjoy it! I'll be posting all about it eventually!

I don't think you can go wrong with the CG. It was fun to sit near the open kitchen, although the last time I was there with just Denny we got a window seat which was so magical!

I can't wait to read about Citricos because I really want to try it!!!!!

Love the photos of the GF. I told my DH that he was taking me to stay there for our 50th anniversary. That is in 4 years! I was a child bride in case you were wondering.

Doris - If you have a 50 year anniversary coming up then you totally deserve a trip to the Grand Floridian. That is SO cool! If I were you I would be planning it right now. What a fabulous celebration that is going to be!

 

[Charleston Princess]

Gorgeous pictures of the Grand Floridian! I always love looking at gingerbread house pics!

Was the pumpkin martini good???

Charles and I just had a good laugh over Nick and his piece of the gingerbread house. That's how the witch in Hansel and Gretel got all her kiddies inside the house.

 

[Queenofallthings]

I don't think any resort looks as beautiful at Christmastime as the GF! I love the Victorian look ....

Cali Grill....my favorite restaurant on property! It is truly a dining experience IMO!! We have the best memories from there! Can't wait to see your pics of Wishes!

 

[Nermel9]

Great update! Ahhh, I love the Grand Floridian! It's seriously my dream DREAM resort! I mean, the Poly is my dream resort, but that one almost seems like I can actually stay there someday, but the GFlo just seems wayyyy too out of my league!

The Gingerbread house is so adorable! Brandon and I saw it in...2009 I think? I can't even remember now, but it's really pretty in person! I can't believe people just take chunks out of it though, that's just crazy!

CA Grill looks awesome! I actually have an ADR there for our May trip for our anniversary dinner, but I'm not sure if I want to keep it or not, I keep debating back and forth between that, Jiko, and Yachtsman! Or, if I really want to get the most out of my dining credits, just skip the signature all together and go with 'Ohana! See, this is why I need a PTR going when i have a trip planned!

I can't wait to see your Wishes pics!

 

[saintstickets]

For 2013 I am thinking of the 4 night dream cruise that leaves october 20th. That would put us in Disney on the 24th until????? Denny's B-day is the 31st so it would be an anniversary/birthday celebration. I just hope it doesn't conflict with any parent's days for whatever school Nick ends up attending. Let's hope that's early in the month. I'm thinking it would be fun to stay at AKL and what's the chance of the grand flo DVC (which isn't really a DVC resort ) being opened then? I would love to spend a couple nights there.

Not sure we will be there that late in October. We are trying to avoid the Halloween crowds. Too bad the NFL doesn't put out its schedule earlier so I could know which weekend the Saints are playing at home that fall. Making ressies at the 11 month window for a trip during football season creates a dilemma!

Great evening. The GF is one of my favorite resorts to just wander around. And I love the gingerbread house for sure.

I will definitely be staying there when the *ahem* expansion opens up. But I heard it was confirmed it was a DVC resort already?

From the DVC website....
Disney Vacation Club is developing an estimated 147 villas as part of the previously announced expansion of Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa.

Estimated to open in late 2013 near Disney's Wedding Pavilion, the resort's slated to become the 12th Disney Vacation Club property.

Maybe it will be open in time for your late October trip MEK. I can't imagine how much those points will cost!

 

[saintstickets]

Double post - darn internet!

 

[KatMark]

Great update, MEK. The pictures at the GF and the Contemporary are beautiful. Disney sure does know how to do Christmas.

Your dinner at Cali Grill looks really yummy. We've never done a signature restaurant but, if we ever did, Cali Grill would be the one we'd try.

 

[mickeystoontown]

I loved this latest update. It is my dream to visit WDW during Christmas so that I can visit the various resorts and see all the decorations. The Grand Floridian gingerbread house looks so neat.

 

[Ducky4Disney]

Now that I've gotten the green-light for a trip, guess what? I'm BAAAACCCKKKK! And I just found this thread. I'll pick through it but I doubt I'll see it all. Nice bird pics, though!

D4D

 

[MEK]

I see this DIS is annoyingly slow and I am trying to listen the Super Bowl while I type. Madonna put on a good show, don't you think?

Gorgeous pictures of the Grand Floridian! I always love looking at gingerbread house pics!

Thanks! The GF lobby was so festive and that house - I just wish I had been there with fewer people because it was hard to get an entire picture with all the guests milling around.

Was the pumpkin martini good???

What do you think? Yes, it was very good. It wasn't my favorite drink of the trip, but I do love a seasonal martini and this was a SCORE!

Charles and I just had a good laugh over Nick and his piece of the gingerbread house. That's how the witch in Hansel and Gretel got all her kiddies inside the house.

That's right!

When I saw that picture of Nick's hand I got really worried that maybe he had broken it off and I forgot about it (denial), but he assured me it had already "come" off.

I don't think any resort looks as beautiful at Christmastime as the GF! I love the Victorian look ....

It really does lend itself to beautiful decorations. The tree in the lobby was quite stunning - just amazing.

Cali Grill....my favorite restaurant on property! It is truly a dining experience IMO!! We have the best memories from there! Can't wait to see your pics of Wishes!

I agree that the Cali is a top notch dining experience. It was my first signature restaurant on my first adult trip and we had the best waiter ever. It holds really special memories for me. I don't think I could ever get tired of eating there.

Great update! Ahhh, I love the Grand Floridian! It's seriously my dream DREAM resort! I mean, the Poly is my dream resort, but that one almost seems like I can actually stay there someday, but the GFlo just seems wayyyy too out of my league!

That's how I feel about it - way too far out of my league, but what I like about Disney is anyone is welcome to visit and spend time on the property. Where else can you do that? And I WILL get there one of these days.

The Gingerbread house is so adorable! Brandon and I saw it in...2009 I think? I can't even remember now, but it's really pretty in person! I can't believe people just take chunks out of it though, that's just crazy!

Well, it certainly looks like that peace broke somehow. I don't think it just fell off. I'm telling you they must send someone in to repair it at 3am in the morning when everyone is asleep.

CA Grill looks awesome! I actually have an ADR there for our May trip for our anniversary dinner, but I'm not sure if I want to keep it or not, I keep debating back and forth between that, Jiko, and Yachtsman! Or, if I really want to get the most out of my dining credits, just skip the signature all together and go with 'Ohana! See, this is why I need a PTR going when i have a trip planned!

Can you just do the Cali Grill out of pocket? In fact, now that you have an AP have you just considered doing the TIW card. It makes a lot of sense for the signature meals. It's usually good for about 13 months.

I haven't eaten at Yachtsman, but Jiko was great. Still, nothing says anniversary like one of the little tables for two up against the window. It's so magical. I highly recommend it!

I can't wait to see your Wishes pics!

Soon!

Not sure we will be there that late in October. We are trying to avoid the Halloween crowds. Too bad the NFL doesn't put out its schedule earlier so I could know which weekend the Saints are playing at home that fall. Making ressies at the 11 month window for a trip during football season creates a dilemma!

Is halloween really crowded? If it is then I want to go earlier. I picked that time frame originally because I thought it would make it possible for us to go to most parent's weekends. But I could be persuaded to go earlier. It probably will be tough to wait until the end of October to travel. Maybe we should consider the beginning of October. Decisions, decisions!

From the DVC website....
Disney Vacation Club is developing an estimated 147 villas as part of the previously announced expansion of Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa.

Estimated to open in late 2013 near Disney's Wedding Pavilion, the resort's slated to become the 12th Disney Vacation Club property.

Maybe it will be open in time for your late October trip MEK. I can't imagine how much those points will cost!

I would love to be able to stay there a couple nights for an anniversary treat. I'll take the worst view, I don't care. That's actually more rooms that VWL. Cool. I guess I need to visit the DVC boards more.

Great update, MEK. The pictures at the GF and the Contemporary are beautiful. Disney sure does know how to do Christmas.

Thanks Kathy. I really enjoyed our visit to the GF and you are so right - no one does Christmas like Disney. The detail is so amazing.

Your dinner at Cali Grill looks really yummy. We've never done a signature restaurant but, if we ever did, Cali Grill would be the one we'd try.

Well all I can say is you really should try it on your next trip. It's such a cool experience. I love it there. The view, the wait staff, the food, the fireworks, and excellent wine list. What more can you ask for?

I loved this latest update. It is my dream to visit WDW during Christmas so that I can visit the various resorts and see all the decorations. The Grand Floridian gingerbread house looks so neat.

Thanks! It really is special to visit at Christmas time. I hope you get a chance to do it sometime. The decorations are pretty cool and visiting the resorts is more fun than ever.

Now that I've gotten the green-light for a trip, guess what? I'm BAAAACCCKKKK! And I just found this thread. I'll pick through it but I doubt I'll see it all. Nice bird pics, though!

D4D

Jen...... I can't believe it. Welcome! Nothing like getting back on the DIS when you are planning a trip. It makes it that much more fun. So funny that you are here now when I just finished writing about the Grand Flo. Remember how we fell in love with that place?

 

[norybell]

So, one advantage to being ridiculously behind on DIS-ing (I know, what's new) is that I got to read all of your Christmas trip posts, all in one go!

(Of course, go figure that the night I decide to catch up, the DIS pages are loading as slowly as Soarin' on a Friday night during Spring Break.)

Love your pictures, as always. I am dying to get to WDW at holiday time to see the Christmas decorations someday...until then, at least I can live vicariously through other people's pictures.

Sounds like you're having a great trip so far! The perfect combo of activity and relaxation (and adult beverages). Can't wait for more!