Yo Ho, Yo Ho! A Graduation Trip for Me! *Completed!

[PrincessBetsy]

WOW! Beautiful!!! Thanks for adding so many pix!! I love the colors, they did a beautiful job on them.

I can't wait for more review!

Yes, the rooms are incredibly nice! Not sure if you can tell, but Tiana and Naveen are in one headboard (on the stairs) and Charlotte and her father are in the other one. Love that attention to detail!

Should have another review posted later today!

That oatmeal looks so good! I don't suppose you know if its a snack credit or not?

I don't believe it is a snack credit. It is from the "Create-Your-Own Yogurt Parfait, Cereal Bowl or Oatmeal" station, so it's probably just a regular quick service credit. This is definitely a great Quick Service option though.

I love your room photos, very nice!

Thanks! Our room was beautiful - I can't even imagine what the Royal Guest Rooms are like.

 

[BlovesC]

It's pretty sad that POR rooms are now approximately 500% more attractive than GF rooms!

Your Riverside breakfasts look delicious! We're staying at POR for the first time in October (we're normally POFQ people!) and I'm looking forward to trying the larger food court.

 

[PrincessBetsy]

It's pretty sad that POR rooms are now approximately 500% more attractive than GF rooms!

Your Riverside breakfasts look delicious! We're staying at POR for the first time in October (we're normally POFQ people!) and I'm looking forward to trying the larger food court.

Totally agree! GF was always my favorite resort, but POR is definitely giving it a run for its money.

That's awesome! I'm sure you'll love it at POR. The food court has so many options that it can be hard to make a decision. Let me know if you have any questions about POR!

 

[PrincessBetsy]

Day 2 – Liberty Tree Tavern​

After breakfast, we all headed to the bus stop. We always visit the Magic Kingdom first, so this trip was no different. We were all very excited, since this was Laura’s first time at a park. After a quick bus ride and bag check with security, we soon entered the turnstiles and waited in front of the Mickey floral for the welcome show. This is a fantastic show – be sure to check it out if you haven’t seen it before!

Once the park was officially open, we strolled down Main Street, posed for a few pictures, and headed towards Fantasyland, where we were able to hit many of the attractions with little to no wait. Afterwards, we went back towards Main Street to catch the trolley show, Citizens of Main Street show, and MISICI Street Party. Then it was off to Adventureland! And who do you suppose we found over there? That’s right – Captain Jack Sparrow himself! What an awesome pirate tutorial. Laura and I even joined his crew

After roaming around Adventureland and Frontierland, it was time for lunch at Liberty Tree Tavern. This is one of our favorite Table Service restaurants in all of Walt Disney World, so we were definitely looking forward to this lunch! We were seated within a few minutes of checking in. Ironically, we ate in the Betsy Ross room! Tis my favorite

If you come here for lunch, make sure you ask for the following:

Dinner Rolls with Honey Butter
These are always served at dinner, but they have some ready for those folks that have been here before and know to ask for them. Always delicious! And let me tell you – that honey butter is heavenly!!! And I absolutely hate honey. I feel like Paula Deen whenever I come here; you honestly don’t want to know how much butter I consumed…

We barely had time to finish one roll before our entire meal was delivered. Speedy service!

Laura ordered this lovely salad:

Colony Salad - Washington apples, sweet pecans and applewood smoked cheddar, dried cranberries, and grilled chicken tossed with field greens in honey shallot vinaigrette
Laura loved this! It’s a pretty fantastic salad, with enough chicken and apples to tide you over. Definitely not one of those dainty salads that barely fills you up. The vinaigrette is also delicious, although I prefer the strawberry vinaigrette they serve with the appetizer salad.

I ordered the Angus Chuck Cheeseburger - topped with bacon and cheddar and served with tavern fries:

BEST burger on Disney property (out of the ones I’ve tried, of course). Cooked to perfection with melty cheddar and crispy bacon. Yum! The fries are also delicious – crispy on the outside, but fluffy on the inside. Definitely a fan.

Everyone else ordered their favorite:

Pilgrims' Feast - traditional roast turkey with herb bread dressing, mashed potatoes and green beans
You definitely can’t go wrong with this choice! The turkey is gosh darn amazing – so moist, succulent, and tender. The dressing is more like stovetop, so if you’re a fan of that, you’ll love this. The green beans did have some garlic on them, which did bother my mother’s stomach later that night. Other than that, great entrée!

Andrew also ordered a side of Mac and Cheese:

How cute! Andrew absolutely loves mac and cheese, especially the kind served on Disney property. The LTT variety is definitely his favorite; incredibly creamy, with lots of gooey cheese. He could easily have eaten this entire plate by himself, but I needed to assist him so I could tell you the verdict . Yup, it’s darn tasty!

We also decided to share the Ooey Gooey Toffee Cake - vanilla cake with a gooey toffee filling, vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce:

With flash!

Alright, so this dessert is absolutely amazing. A delicious, “ooey gooey” cake topped with a huge scoop of vanilla ice cream and covered in chocolate sauce, caramel sauce, and toffee; what’s not to love? Well, I’ll tell you – it’s the price. They secretly keep increasing the price over the years, so it is now $7.49. Eek! I could basically bake an entire cake for that price. Hmmm…. Maybe I’ll make this sometime soon and let you know the price verdict. Here is the recipe: http://allears.net/din/rec_ooey.htm I have made this before and it is divine – just like the originally, but on a much larger scale!

Okie doke! Our rating of Liberty Tree Tavern:

Wow! So far only Captain Jack has made an appearance. I like it!

After LTT Laura and I hung around the Magic Kingdom, while everyone else went back to the resort. We hit a few more attractions and watched a few shows, including the Flag Retreat. Then we headed over to Epcot, where we rejoined the rest of the family for an evening of fun deliciousness with a bit of rain mixed in.

Coming up: The quest for a sink

 

[jerseytinkerbell]

LTT has quickly become one of my favorite restaurants in WDW as well. Thanks for the info about the dinner rolls! I will definitely ask for them next time.

I saw that you "shared" the Ooey Gooey Toffee Cake. You are a better person than me! If someone else came at my Toffee cake with a spoon I would have to take them out! Oh my gosh and I link to the recipe, you are my new favorite person. I will definitely be making that very soon.

And thanks for posting some room pics! Princess and the Frog is my new favorite Disney film, so I really think as much as I discovered I loved POFQ this past trip I may have to give POR a try as well. That room is too cute!

Great update!

 

[vettegirl]

We have never been to LTT, but wow that burger has me wanting to try it!

 

[iloveeeyore]

LTT lunch looks so delicious! We will be there in August. Thanks for the tip about asking for the rolls with honey butter. We would never have known!

 

[lynn46356]

Another vote for LTT! I love the colony salad!!!!!! It is so refreshing to enjoy before a calorie filled dessert. Both are favs of mine. Thanks for the tip on the rolls. That will definitely be used on our next trip to LTT. We don't have an adr for LTT on our next trip in a few weeks. Our DS wanted to eat at The Plaza. I think he'd enjoy the hamburger just as much. I believe its time to do some adr investigating!

 

[dawnmichele]

Loving it, and signing up!

 

[PrincessBetsy]

LTT has quickly become one of my favorite restaurants in WDW as well. Thanks for the info about the dinner rolls! I will definitely ask for them next time.

I saw that you "shared" the Ooey Gooey Toffee Cake. You are a better person than me! If someone else came at my Toffee cake with a spoon I would have to take them out! Oh my gosh and I link to the recipe, you are my new favorite person. I will definitely be making that very soon.

And thanks for posting some room pics! Princess and the Frog is my new favorite Disney film, so I really think as much as I discovered I loved POFQ this past trip I may have to give POR a try as well. That room is too cute!

Great update!

Oh man, haha! So funny! I would love to eat my own one day; I'm just usually way too full. I'm honored to be your new favorite person

I also love Princess and the Frog! POR is an amazing resort with fantastic theming. It's also nice that you can walk over to POFQ, so you can still take in that Mardi Gras theme.

We have never been to LTT, but wow that burger has me wanting to try it!

Yup, it's one fantastic burger! If you're in the MK and looking for a good place for lunch, I would definitely recommend LTT or The Plaza (look for that review later on).

LTT lunch looks so delicious! We will be there in August. Thanks for the tip about asking for the rolls with honey butter. We would never have known!

No problem I'm sure you'll have a fantastic lunch!

Another vote for LTT! I love the colony salad!!!!!! It is so refreshing to enjoy before a calorie filled dessert. Both are favs of mine. Thanks for the tip on the rolls. That will definitely be used on our next trip to LTT. We don't have an adr for LTT on our next trip in a few weeks. Our DS wanted to eat at The Plaza. I think he'd enjoy the hamburger just as much. I believe its time to do some adr investigating!

Glad to provide you with an extra tip I really enjoy The Plaza as well (that review will be up a little later). Both have really excellent entrees and great desserts!

Loving it, and signing up!

Awesome! Thanks for joining in

 

[PrincessBetsy]

'Ello mates! I have just whipped up a batch of Ooey Gooey Toffee Cake:

It be costing me $8.50 to make the entire batch. Here be the recipe I used if ye be feeling up to the task:

Cake Bottom

Ingredients:
1 box yellow cake mix
1 egg
1 stick of butter (softened)

Method of Preparation:
Mix ingredients and put in a greased baking pan 13" x 9".

Cake Filling

Ingredients:
8 ounces cream cheese
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup butter (melted)
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup Heath bar pieces
1 pound powdered sugar

Method of Preparation:
1. Put cream cheese in mixer.
2. Slowly add eggs and vanilla.
3. Add butter and mix well.
4. Put in powdered sugar, then add chocolate chips and toffee pieces.
5. Just mix; do not over mix.
6. Put on top of Cake Bottom in pan.
7. Bake at 325 for 35-45 minutes.

Recipe adapted from http://allears.net/din/rec_ooey.htm

 

[emmysmommy]

Your home-made ooey gooey toffee cake looks AMAZING!!!! I want to be your friend! Thanks for the hint about the rolls with honey butter at LTT - didn't know. That burger looks good but so does the colony salad... hmmmmm I'm going to have a hard time deciding what to order. Although, I still get sucked into the toffee cake!

 

[PrincessBetsy]

Your home-made ooey gooey toffee cake looks AMAZING!!!! I want to be your friend! Thanks for the hint about the rolls with honey butter at LTT - didn't know. That burger looks good but so does the colony salad... hmmmmm I'm going to have a hard time deciding what to order. Although, I still get sucked into the toffee cake!

Haha, thanks! I'm always up for gaining another friend Good luck deciding what to order on your next visit - so many delicious choices!

 

[PrincessBetsy]

Day 2 – Beaches and Cream​

After arriving in Epcot and reuniting with the rest of my family, we went on a tour of all the lovely flowers and gardens as part of Epcot’s Flower and Garden Festival. We then began to walk around the world, towards the United Kingdom, so we could watch The British Revolution. This group was fantastic! And we stayed for the entire show, even though it began to rain. Soon “Hey Jude” ended and we took off at a fast walk to the Beach Club. As the rain began to increase, so did our pace. We finally reached our destination: Beaches and Cream. Since the weather was a little nasty, not too many people were out and about, so we were seated immediately. We knew there was only one thing on the menu that we wanted: The Kitchen Sink.

My family has tried to conquer this twice - failing on both accounts. But, we had an extra sailor this time, so our hope was restored! When they bring out the Kitchen Sink they flash the lights and sound the sirens to get everyone’s attention as the server presents this masterpiece. There were many oohs and ahhs as it was set down before us and one lady at a nearby table kept taking our picture (probably because we are incredibly famous and good-looking – what’s that, you say? Maybe she was taking pictures of the ice cream? Hmmm… Highly unlikely, who would really want a picture of someone else’s ice cream? ).

So, without further ado, I present the Kitchen Sink - Eight Scoops of Ice Cream (vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, mint chocolate chip, and coffee) served with all the Toppings in the house (hot fudge, peanut butter, nuts, oreos, brownie, pound cake, gummy candies, and candy bars) and a whole can of Whipped Cream (that’s right folks, a WHOLE CAN of whipped cream). You can substitute the flavors if you would like, but we stuck with the original flavors so everyone could have their favorite:

Midway

Finished

My life goal has been accomplished! The Kitchen Sink has been vanquished at last.

Our waitress came by after we had finished it and replied “Wow, that was fast!” A guest at another table remarked “I have never seen anyone finish that before. Good job.”

I guess those are compliments? Well after around four or five bowls of ice cream apiece, we waddled out of there. Too bad, it was a complete downpour! We donned our ponchos and headed back towards Epcot. Then it was time for the lovely poncho tango – trying to remove my drawstring bag so I could get through security, then trying to put it back on under my poncho, then trying to find my ticket… While I was doing the poncho tango, everyone else had already gone through the turnstiles and were listening to an incredibly funny cast member. She was telling puns and jokes nonstop, one right after the other! My brother has Goofy on his ticket, so she kept telling him to stop goofing around. Then she began the jokes “Why did Mickey travel to outer space? To find Pluto!” I think all that ice cream, combined with my love of puns, sent me over the edge. I was doubled over with laughter and couldn’t stop laughing all the way out of the park. (I just started laughing again, now that I think about it…)

And so our second day comes to a close. Oh my goodness, I almost forgot the rating! We give this a…

Now, I absolutely love Beaches and Cream. It has great burgers and sandwiches, and delicious sundaes. We all really like the Kitchen Sink, but we’re all not a fan of everything in it. Mint chocolate chip ice cream is one of my favorites, while everyone else (except my Dad) dislikes it with a passion. On the other hand, I’m not a huge fan of coffee or strawberry. The first half of the Kitchen Sink is great; however, as everything begins to melt and run together, you start to get some funky flavors. The slush we had at the end tasted completely like mint (which I loved, but Andrew and Laura hated). So, would I recommend the Kitchen Sink? Absolutely! It is a fun challenge to overcome, and it tastes pretty darn good. Even if you don’t order the Kitchen Sink, I would definitely check out Beaches and Cream – it’s a quaint ice cream shop with some awesome food!

Up Next: Hollywood, here we come!

 

[jerseytinkerbell]

I've really been wanting to try the Kitchen Sink, but I think that's more than DH and I can handle! I will definitely be trying it the next time we take a trip with more people. Very cool that you finally got to finish it!

 

[ilovepete]

The Original 1762 - fresh roasted beef, cheddar and creamy horseradish sauce
He normally orders the meatball sandwich, but decided to go with this little beauty as soon as he saw horseradish in the description. My dad absolutely loves horseradish and thought this sandwich was perfect.
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I am going to have to try this, wow! It looks right up my ally! Both times I have been to EOS I have gotten the holiday sandwich, but we are going when that won't be an option this time. Now I already know what I'll be ordering, thanks! ​

 

[PrincessBetsy]

I've really been wanting to try the Kitchen Sink, but I think that's more than DH and I can handle! I will definitely be trying it the next time we take a trip with more people. Very cool that you finally got to finish it!

Yes, indeed! It would definitely be hard to finish with 2 people. I'd say bring 4 or 5 and you're good to go

I am going to have to try this, wow! It looks right up my ally! Both times I have been to EOS I have gotten the holiday sandwich, but we are going when that won't be an option this time. Now I already know what I'll be ordering, thanks!

Awesome! Glad I could help narrow down the choice. My Dad loved this, so I'm sure you will too.

 

[PrincessBetsy]

Day 3 – Riverside Mill Breakfast​

We woke up fairly early this morning so we could make it to Disney’s Hollywood Studios for rope drop. We decided to start the day with a hearty breakfast from the Riverside Mill Food Court.

Andrew and Laura decided to amuse themselves by building this tower:

Which turned into this by the time I got done taking photos:

Silly kids!

I had a Cinnamon Roll from the bakery section:

After ordering, I realized that this was smaller than cinnamon buns I have had in the past. Not complaining though; gives me a chance to save some calories, eh? The outside was hard and the entire bun was stuck to the plate. I’m guessing a quick zap in the microwave was the culprit. The inside was delicious though – lots of cinnamon and very soft.

My Mom had Corn Flakes with fruit on the side (which I gladly helped her eat):

Andrew and my Dad both had Oatmeal again:

Laura just had some Toast with honey, as she had been feeling a little ill due to the amount of ice cream we consumed the night before … oops.
Andrew and my parents shared some toast as well.

Even though my cinnamon bun was a little lacking, everyone else enjoyed their cereal and toast. I would give this meal a rating of…

Yup. That’s 1.5 Barbossas.

Coming up: Eating at a bizarre land made of pizza

 

[PrincessBetsy]

Day 3 – Pizza Planet​

After breakfast, we took a bus to DHS. Luckily enough we were able to hop on Toy Story Mania with no wait. Andrew and Laura and I can get pretty competitive, so we loved this attraction. Afterward, my Mom and I dropped 13 stories in a sketchy elevator; then all of us took a ride through the movies, listened to a potential American Idol, watched Gaston fail at life, and attempted to draw Pluto.

Quick note about the Animation Academy. If you haven’t been, then you should go! If you have, then you already know how fun it is. Basically you get to sit down with an animator, who takes you through all the steps to draw a character. And the best part – you get to keep your picture. Laura’s was definitely the best – it looked amazing! Also, funny story: The animator went through a list of characters and asked if anyone had drawn them before, so no one would get a repeat. After going through several characters, she reached Pluto, which became candidate number one. She went through a few others before reaching, wait for it, wait for it… FLYNN RIDER. (Laura and I are ridiculously in love with him ). As she mentioned his name, Laura and I kind of freaked out and since we were sitting in the front row, she heard us and jokingly said “calm down ladies.” Since no one had drawn him yet, he became candidate number two. Alas, we took it to a vote and Flynn went down in a blaze of glory… silly small children. Why you no vote for Flynn?

This was quite taxing on one’s hunger levels, so we needed some refueling. What better place, than Pizza Planet?

Since the pizzas here are plenty big, we decided to share 3 meals - each meal comes with a Pizza and a Caesar Salad.

Here is the “healthy” portion of the meal. Too bad it was covered with delicious Caesar dressing…

An overview of our pizzas:

Time to look pretty for your close up!

Vegetable Pizza:

Cheese Pizzas:

This isn’t the best pizza in the world, but it is still fairly good. Let’s face it: you are probably never going to get that “Wow, this pizza is amazing!” factor from any of the quick service pizza places on property. Laura and I shared the veggie pizza, while everyone else shared the two cheese pizzas. I have never had the veggie pizza before and I was pleasantly surprised. This was delicious and much better than cheese or pepperoni! Definitely going to order this one from now on.

We rate this meal a…

Next up: Choices, choices, and more choices

 

[m6c5a90]

I'm enjoying your review very much! Congratulations on graduating!

I also just graduated from college a few weeks ago and my gift to myself is my fall trip to Disney with my college friend as well! It is so much fun to go to Disney with people that have never been or don't remember going. Just watching their reactions to everything is priceless!