You just graduated from college!! What's next? 5/13 - 5/21 THAT'S A WRAP!

[Smiling Cheshire Cat]

Cocktails and appetizers at Yak and Yeti look yum and yummier!

I would be with you Barb on that bridge at Kali River Rapids staying high and dry too.

 

[jabead]

You went to Yak & Yeti and didn't get the wontons! LOL! The main reason we are going is those wontons! Good to know we can ask for a side of eggrolls since DS and I are the only two that would want one. And the pics from Kali cemented for me why we I will not be doing that!

I know, I know. I don't think I've ever been to Yak & Yeti before without getting the wonton dessert. I will have to have them vicariously through you I guess. Enjoy!

And just to completely emphasize how completely different we all are...the soaking wet review of Kali, is getting me even more excited to do it!!!! lol!

Well then, Happy Drenching!

Great pictures and reviews!!! Can't wait to see more!

Thanks! RFC coming right up!

Good call skipping Kali, I was not as smart last trip ; )

Love the idea of Happy Hour at Yak and Yeti. Your drinks look great and you can't beat those egg rolls. I'm a fan of the potstickers too, but primarily for the sauce more than anything. Gonna have to explore the mixed drinks a little big more next trip.

Our Happy Hour was nearly perfect for me, if only we had had room for the wonton dessert.

Great reviews so far! I'm disappointed to see that Sanaa menu. We have a reservation there on Tuesday and I was expecting way more choices in the pick two section :-(

Yes, I was a little disappointed with their menu. There seemed to be many things missing from the Sanaa menu that I had been used to seeing.

Yay! I just finished your "keep calm" report! Looking foward to the rest of this one too!

Thanks for reading and joining me for another report!

Love the adult drinks and apps at Yak & Yeti, you know I have been a fan of that place for years!!

Haven't yet found an entree that I love here, but I'm a fan of their drinks, apps, and dessert!

I am with you on sitting out on Kali, I hate getting wet on rides. Great idea on the drinks and appetizers at Yak & Yeti. My kids love "Chinese wraps" as they call egg rolls and the drinks sound yummy! We talked about going to Rainforest Cafe, I am excited to see what you thought of it

Rainforest Cafe review coming right up!

Do you know if it's possible to just go in and order a drink (possibly even to go)? I really really really want to try the Pink Himalayan, and was planning on ordering one with my lunch when we are scheduled to eat there in December, but it's looking like we may need to cancel our ADR due to other scheduling conflicts/timing, but I still would really like to have that drink. Eventually I will actually get to eat a meal there too......

Yes, they have a bar area at Yak & Yeti so I know that you would be able to go there without an ADR to just get a drink. Not 100% sure about the "drink to go" but I think I recall seeing someone do this here when I was hosting the "Live Thread".

I know I am late to the party but better late than never I guess. That sucks that it took so long to get your room and bands working.

The Boma culinary tour looks fantastic I have only ever eaten breakfast there and it was great.

The concierge lounge looks like it has some great treats throughout the day.

I love Tusker House it was a fantastic Breakfast when we did it. The lunch offerings look very good as well.

Have never eaten at Yak & Yeti but it does look good.

Glad to have you along for another report!

Loving your reviews but even after multiple visits with (younger) children to USA it still makes me look twice when I read as my son is 'only' 19 he went for the soft drink option

Ha! I know exactly what you mean. My daughter Emily spent a summer studying in Florence prior to her turning 21 and got quite used to being able to legally drink. Then she returned home and her bubble was quickly burst.

Great review! I am even more excited to try Yak and Yeti on our upcoming trip now...those drinks look delish!

Thanks, hope you have a great meal at Yak & Yeti!

Thank you so much for the detailed AKL CL review! It's the best I've seen!

We plan on booking AKL CL for 2 nights after our cruise in April!

You are quite welcome! And a cruise + 2 nights AKL CL sounds wonderful!

We did brunch at TH last trip and loved it! It is nice to be able to enjoy breakfast and lunch options with one reservation. Those appetizers at Yak and Yeti look amazing; I need to make it over there sometime.

Yes, I would definitely like to do brunch again at TH. I just need to learn a little more self-control and not fill up on the breakfast food.
And I hope you have the opportunity to try Yak & Yeti sometime!

Thanks for your comprehensive photo's of the buffet offerings! I've been trying to decide on whether to go there for breakfast or Boma before AK opens the day we are there so these helped a lot.

Oh my, Boma vs. Tusker House...that's a tough one. I prefer Boma, but just ever so slightly. The thing that tips the scale for me at Boma is their Made-to-order omelet station.

Cocktails and appetizers at Yak and Yeti look yum and yummier!

I would be with you Barb on that bridge at Kali River Rapids staying high and dry too.

I just noticed your trip ticker is set for an October trip, Rachel. If my ticker math is correct, then it looks like I'm going to miss you by a couple weeks once again, as I think I'm going the last week of October.

 

[jabead]

Save the Rainforest "Cafe"??​

Did you know that the Rainforest Cafe is an endangered chain restaurant? Apparently since the year 2000 over half of all the Rainforest Cafes have closed down. There are currently less than 30 in the world, and two of these are located at Disney World. So I guess my kids did their part to save the Rainforest Cafe by choosing to have dinner at the Animal Kingdom one. Did they regret their decision...or more importantly, did I regret their decision? Stay tuned to find out.





Following the use of our 5th Fast Pass, we were hot, we were tired, we were DONE! So we decided to try to check in early for our dinner at Rainforest Cafe, and happily we were seated within a few minutes.


Our table was close to the restaurant's entrance, in the Elephant section of the rainforest??...






First, here's their menu...












Emily decided she wasn't that hungry and ordered only soup from the Soups & Salads section of the menu...


Jungle Safari Soup with zucchini, tomatoes, sausage, garbanzo beans, kidney beans, and spinach lightly stewed in a zesty broth with pasta and topped with parmesan cheese


It probably seems a bit odd that she ordered soup on such a hot Florida day, however the restaurant was very cold so this actually hit the spot and warmed her up. She said the soup was very good and gave it a rating of 5.




My son really wanted chicken tenders and fries, however there was no such entree listed on their menu. So instead he ordered the Chicken Tenders from the Appetizer section and added a side of Safari fries...




I thought the presentation in a mini brown paper bag was pretty cute. According to my son the chicken tenders were good and received from him a rating of 4.




As for me, I had the opposite problem with the menu as my son. I really wanted just coconut shrimp (no sides) and was hoping that they offered it on their menu as an appetizer. However, it was only listed as an entree choice so that is what I ordered...


Caribbean Coconut Shrimp - Tender shrimp rolled in fresh coconut, fried golden brown and served with mango sauce, cole slaw and Safari fries


And a another photo, focusing on the shrimp...




Now had I been thinking with all cylinders, I would have told my son not to order the side of fries and given him my unwanted fries instead. So my mistake ended up costing me $3.99 for the extra side of fries that we didn't need. And to add insult to injury, they were kind of cold and therefore not very good so most of them went uneaten. My bad.


As for the coconut shrimp, they were tasty. I didn't really care for their mango sauce though and the fries were cold, so overall I gave this entree a rating of 4.




We were too full for dessert, however they had asked me if we were celebrating anything when I checked in for our reservation. Consequently, our server brought Emily a complimentary cupcake complete with a lit candle in celebration of her graduation.









This cupcake seemed to be made-to-order for Emily, as it was all of her favorites. White cake + whipped cream frosting + raspberry sauce = A very happy Emily. So the cupcake of course received a rating of 5+.



Overall our meal was pretty good, but I can't help but wonder if it would have been better had we had dinner at Yak & Yeti.

ETA: Rainforest Cafe does not give a discount to Tables in Wonderland members, however they do give a 10% discount on their entrees to Annual Passholders. Therefore, I was able to get the discount on my Coconut Shrimp entree.​

Next up: Check-in at Universal's Hard Rock Hotel

 

[rteetz]

I haven't eaten at a Rainforest cafe in at least a few years I think the one in Gurnee Illinois was the last one I ate at.

 

[macraven]

I haven't eaten at a Rainforest cafe in at least a few years I think the one in Gurnee Illinois was the last one I ate at.

that's the closest one to my house and have eaten there.
it's a lot quieter than the one at disney!

 

[JKSWonder]

Dinner definitely would have been better and Yak and Yeti, though we've eaten at Rainforest Cafe in Downtown Disney (sorry, Disney Springs!) a few times and have been fine with the food and the service. Basically, its like any chain restaurant food (Friday's, Applebee's, etc.). Adequate, but nothing stellar.

 

[twinkybel81]

Yes, they have a bar area at Yak & Yeti so I know that you would be able to go there without an ADR to just get a drink. Not 100% sure about the "drink to go" but I think I recall seeing someone do this here when I was hosting the "Live Thread".

Woohoo! Thank you!

 

[njmomof1]

Looking forward to your review!

 

[wdwobsessed]

This cupcake seemed to be made-to-order for Emily, as it was all of her favorites. White cake + whipped cream frosting + raspberry sauce = A very happy Emily. So the cupcake of course received a rating of 5+.

Oh yummy! I agree with Emily! That's a cupcake after my own heart.

 

[vettegirl]

We have one here in San Antonio, but we have never been. The theme is super cute, but for me Yak & Yeti is amazing!!

 

[momof3princes]

I think I need to try to steer my DH in another direction for dinner at AK! RFC seems ok but there are so many other options I would rather try....like Y&Y for one!!

 

[jabead]

I haven't eaten at a Rainforest cafe in at least a few years I think the one in Gurnee Illinois was the last one I ate at.

that's the closest one to my house and have eaten there.
it's a lot quieter than the one at disney!

I've never been to the Gurnee one, but I have been to the RFC in downtown Chicago. I remember it as being equally noisy as the one at AK but it's been many years ago so my memory is a little cloudy.

Dinner definitely would have been better and Yak and Yeti, though we've eaten at Rainforest Cafe in Downtown Disney (sorry, Disney Springs!) a few times and have been fine with the food and the service. Basically, its like any chain restaurant food (Friday's, Applebee's, etc.). Adequate, but nothing stellar.

I agree!

Woohoo! Thank you!

You are quite welcome!

Looking forward to your review!

If you are referring to my first Universal review, then it's coming right up!

Oh yummy! I agree with Emily! That's a cupcake after my own heart.

She didn't offer me any, but it sure did look pretty yummy!

We have one here in San Antonio, but we have never been. The theme is super cute, but for me Yak & Yeti is amazing!!

Yes, my vote was to have dinner at Yak & Yeti but I was outnumbered. But at least I got them to Y & Y for drinks and apps.

I think I need to try to steer my DH in another direction for dinner at AK! RFC seems ok but there are so many other options I would rather try....like Y&Y for one!!

I tried my best to steer my kids away from RFC and to Y & Y but no such luck. Hopefully you'll have better luck with your DH.

 

[jabead]

"Well, I've Got Good News and Bad News."


After our dinner at Animal Kingdom's Rainforest Cafe, we drove to the Universal Studios Resort for our 2 night stay at the...

Hard Rock Hotel



We parked near the front door of the hotel and the kids remained in the car while I went inside to check in. After waiting in line for a bit it was my turn to step up to the lobby desk. The nice gentleman at the desk asked for my identification and began the usual process of hotel check in...or so I thought anyway.

After typing in my information he abruptly stopped, looked at me with a big grin on his face and said, "Well, I've got good news and bad news for you, which would you like first?" I of course answered, "Give me the bad news." He replied, "The bad news is that we don't have anymore Garden view standard rooms available for tonight." [This type of room, one step up from standard view, was the least expensive available for my dates with a AAA discount so that is what I had reserved]

Ok, so I figured he was about to tell me the good news that I'd been upgraded one category to a water view standard room. Nice, but not really worthy of the big grin that remained on his face. He then asked, "How would you like to be treated like Rock Royalty?" Never having stayed at a Hard Rock before, I had no idea what he was talking about, so I replied hesitantly, "Umm, yeah sure." He then realized I had no idea what he was talking about so went on to explain that "Rock Royalty" at the Hard Rock meant Club Level. We had been given a complimentary upgrade to the...





Once the check-in process was complete, I returned to the car to tell the kids the good news. I had been given four room key cards (since my oldest daughter would be arriving later this evening) and was told that we would need them to gain access to the Club level, which was the 7th floor. We unloaded a few of our bags and my son and I took them on up to our room while Emily parked the car in the Self-Parking Lot (which required her room key card to get through the gate) for a fee of $20 per night plus tax.


I had been told that the hotel was in the process of renovating all of their rooms and had started with the Club Level so these rooms were all done. So what does a newly renovated "Rock Royalty" room look like?


It looks like this...


















The theming seemed fairly minimal to me, especially compared to many of the rooms at the Disney World resorts. Although I was not particularly excited by the room decor, I did enjoy our view of the pool...





And a glimpse of the Hollywood Rip Ride Rocket ride at Universal Studios in the distance...





We were only in the room long enough to take these pictures, then we were off to the airport to pick up my oldest daughter. But first we made a quick stop at the Rock Royalty Lounge...





...where according to the schedule I'd been given, we would find some Bed Time Snacks.






There was a sign just inside the door of the lounge which listed all of that evening's offerings...





If only I'd known, it looks like I could have satisfied my craving for coconut shrimp here.



But it was after 8:30 so we all had a Make Your Own Ice Cream Sundae. Here is my son's, who topped his ice cream with caramel sauce and crushed Oreo cookies...
​

He paired this with a glass of milk.



As for me, hold the Oreos but add hot fudge and whipped cream along with the caramel sauce...






Emily forgot to take a photo before she dug into her sundae so I'll leave her topping choices up to your imagination.

​

Next up: Breakfast at Universal Studios' Leaky Cauldron

 

[rteetz]

I've never been to universal or stayed at their resorts but it's nice to see what it's like. That's cool that you got upgraded to club level. Can't wait to hear about your dining adventures in universal.

 

[Sailormoon2]

Sweet Upgrade!!! Love the view of RRR from your window!

 

[ocalla]

Very Nice Upgrade!!!! I bet you were still smiling when you woke up!!!

 

[kastoney]

Your Rain Forest meal looks surprisingly good. Not good enough to pull me away from Tusker or Yak n Yeti, but good nonetheless. And at least you did your part to save the rainforest ; ) Poor endangered cafe's

Congrats on the upgrade. Though I had to laugh that "rock royalty" meant gingham curtains. The food offerings sound good though. Do they have adult beverages like disney does?

 

[auntfrannie]

Nice! It will interesting to see your comparisons between the HRH club level and the Disney club levels that you've done.

 

[DisneyJo]

Oooh very nice upgrade you lucky things

 

[Mom2m&k]

Always fun to get an upgrade! Can't wait to read more about your stay at the other park!