AAABatteries
Footballguy
And yes, that is a normal sized tray and the hotdog covers the whole thing 
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Disney Vacation (6 Viewers)
- Thread starter DOVCommish
- Start date
glvsav37
Footballguy
Take a chance at spending a night in Cinderella's castle suite.
Support Give Kids the World—a special Orlando resort for ill children—has teamed with Disney and Omaze to offer 1 winner and 5 friends (
) a night in the exclusive Cinderella suite, park tickets, and airfare.
Support Give Kids the World—a special Orlando resort for ill children—has teamed with Disney and Omaze to offer 1 winner and 5 friends (
) a night in the exclusive Cinderella suite, park tickets, and airfare. Bruce Dickinson
Footballguy
Just want to give a shout-out to Omaze. The experiences they give away are pretty special, and the promos they create are really fun to watch. If the one where Jennifer Lawrence reads reviews and guesses whether they are for a wine or for one of her movies, check it out.Take a chance at spending a night in Cinderella's castle suite.
Support Give Kids the World—a special Orlando resort for ill children—has teamed with Disney and Omaze to offer 1 winner and 5 friends (
AAABatteries
Footballguy
Day 3 Ramblings Addendum:
- Does 5 Moosehead Lagers make me an official Canadian?
- Steak at Le Cellier is good, especially after 5 Moodehead Lagers
- I had 2 Swine Brines - these bastards had a Piggy Wing topper! http://imgur.com/JBZqlTA
- New Soarin - honestly a little meh - not much better than the original and seems to be CGI enhanced
- Does 5 Moosehead Lagers make me an official Canadian?
- Steak at Le Cellier is good, especially after 5 Moodehead Lagers
- I had 2 Swine Brines - these bastards had a Piggy Wing topper! http://imgur.com/JBZqlTA
- New Soarin - honestly a little meh - not much better than the original and seems to be CGI enhanced
AAABatteries
Footballguy
Weirdest cornhole ever?Take a chance at spending a night in Cinderella's castle suite.
Support Give Kids the World—a special Orlando resort for ill children—has teamed with Disney and Omaze to offer 1 winner and 5 friends (
jb1020
Footballguy
Cinderella and 5 of her princess friends...I'm in!Take a chance at spending a night in Cinderella's castle suite.
Support Give Kids the World—a special Orlando resort for ill children—has teamed with Disney and Omaze to offer 1 winner and 5 friends (
glvsav37
Footballguy
Me: "Honey, I won a contest to spend the night in the dream suite inside Cinderella's castle!!"
wife: "Awesome when are we going?"
Me "Ummm, yea, about that. I actually going with a bunch of other Disney dudes I know from the internet." lol
could you imagine, the stripper service call. "So You want 6 girls, all dressed as princesses, and delivered where??"
The Commish
Footballguy
Deranged Hermit
Not cool & Pissed
$10 well spent for a chance to stay in the castle.Take a chance at spending a night in Cinderella's castle suite.
Support Give Kids the World—a special Orlando resort for ill children—has teamed with Disney and Omaze to offer 1 winner and 5 friends (
Bruce Dickinson
Footballguy
DIBS ON ARIEL!!!!glvsav37 said:
(did I say that out loud?)
AAABatteries
Footballguy
Day 4 Ramblngs:
- Breakfast pizza and Belgian Waffles at Wolfgang Puck's is a tradition for our family - the chocolate chip waffle is really good. Again, it's so much food on the dining plan
- This isn't our first trip with DD being rebranded Disney Springs but for the life of me I can't stop calling it Downtown Disney.
- The parking garages are great - anybody who spent 20 minutes circling the old lots can attest to that
- Another Star Wars store - my FIL is in heaven - we were ready to leave DS and realized we couldn't find him - he was in the Star Wars store buying books about Jedis
- Went to Blizzard Beach in an attempt to make myself hungry for 'Ohana - I like the family rides better at Typhoon Lagoon but the Summit Plummet and Slusher Gusher are two real good thrill rides. They beat the hell out of you though if you are older. I'm sore and bruised this morning
- 'Ohana - after all the great meals we've had all week I was still pumped about potstickers and bread pudding. Another great meal - I saved room for a nice big helping of dessert. 2nd casualty of the week - FIL ate way too fast while drinking a Backscratcher and made himself sick. He had to go back to the room while the rest of us hit MK nighttime
- Our first time seeing Happily Ever After - the new castle projection is truly unbelievable - http://imgur.com/sKWXLIh
- EMH at night - you'd think they could find a more efficient way to get people on the rides
- having a 16 year old that likes to Explore the parks and go off on his own makes me very jealous - I went to Disney one time as a kid and then didn't come back until I was almost 30. Little ******* doesn't know how lucky he is - not how much I love that kid
Today is the big Food & Wine day for us - skipping breakfast - I'm ready
- Breakfast pizza and Belgian Waffles at Wolfgang Puck's is a tradition for our family - the chocolate chip waffle is really good. Again, it's so much food on the dining plan
- This isn't our first trip with DD being rebranded Disney Springs but for the life of me I can't stop calling it Downtown Disney.
- The parking garages are great - anybody who spent 20 minutes circling the old lots can attest to that
- Another Star Wars store - my FIL is in heaven - we were ready to leave DS and realized we couldn't find him - he was in the Star Wars store buying books about Jedis
- Went to Blizzard Beach in an attempt to make myself hungry for 'Ohana - I like the family rides better at Typhoon Lagoon but the Summit Plummet and Slusher Gusher are two real good thrill rides. They beat the hell out of you though if you are older. I'm sore and bruised this morning
- 'Ohana - after all the great meals we've had all week I was still pumped about potstickers and bread pudding. Another great meal - I saved room for a nice big helping of dessert. 2nd casualty of the week - FIL ate way too fast while drinking a Backscratcher and made himself sick. He had to go back to the room while the rest of us hit MK nighttime
- Our first time seeing Happily Ever After - the new castle projection is truly unbelievable - http://imgur.com/sKWXLIh
- EMH at night - you'd think they could find a more efficient way to get people on the rides
- having a 16 year old that likes to Explore the parks and go off on his own makes me very jealous - I went to Disney one time as a kid and then didn't come back until I was almost 30. Little ******* doesn't know how lucky he is - not how much I love that kid
Today is the big Food & Wine day for us - skipping breakfast - I'm ready
glvsav37
Footballguy
oh ####...I'm in trouble....now it looks like i'm going to have to bring an empty suitcase with me.- Another Star Wars store - my FIL is in heaven - we were ready to leave DS and realized we couldn't find him - he was in the Star Wars store buying books about Jedis
That, my friends, is a sign of a pro.
I'll be honest, as much as WDW is a family experience, there is a criminally underrated value of doing the parks by yourself. I can't tell you how many times I flew solo (from just hanging around when I was a Cast Member, and then when I would go back for "research" when I designed the Birnbaum's books) and you just see the park differently. You are not wrapped up in making sure everyone is having fun, who has to go to the bathroom and all that BS. For as much as I love my family, I am really looking forward to my solo day this October.
I'll be praying for you!Today is the big Food & Wine day for us - skipping breakfast - I'm ready
jb1020
Footballguy
@AAABatteries You have me excited to check out the water parks. Thats part of the trip we've always sort of skipped, Mainly due to the age of the kids. We'll work it in next year.
glvsav37
Footballguy
seconded...the water parks are a lot of fun (if you like them normally)
We prefer Bliz Beach to Typhoon mainly b/c its newer. But I may have to make a trip back the TL b/c of the new slide.
Overall, they are a real nice way to break away from the main theme parks for a while. WE can't ever really do a full day there, but its good for us till about 2:30-3ish pm then out to a nice dinner and some night park going. Plus being we only go in the summer, it really is the right time to visit the water parks.
glvsav37
Footballguy
mine are 11 and 7 now....they were about your current age when we 1st started going. But I hear you. Both locations have really good kid areas and awesome lazy rivers and wave pools that the whole family can enjoy. My main recommendation is to wear closed toed (or protected toes) water shoes...the lazy river bottom is a little rough and on the lazy river people tend to drag their feet.
Bruce Dickinson
Footballguy
You were born for this.AAABatteries said:Day 4 Ramblngs:
- Breakfast pizza and Belgian Waffles at Wolfgang Puck's is a tradition for our family - the chocolate chip waffle is really good. Again, it's so much food on the dining plan
- This isn't our first trip with DD being rebranded Disney Springs but for the life of me I can't stop calling it Downtown Disney.
- The parking garages are great - anybody who spent 20 minutes circling the old lots can attest to that
- Another Star Wars store - my FIL is in heaven - we were ready to leave DS and realized we couldn't find him - he was in the Star Wars store buying books about Jedis
- Went to Blizzard Beach in an attempt to make myself hungry for 'Ohana - I like the family rides better at Typhoon Lagoon but the Summit Plummet and Slusher Gusher are two real good thrill rides. They beat the hell out of you though if you are older. I'm sore and bruised this morning
- 'Ohana - after all the great meals we've had all week I was still pumped about potstickers and bread pudding. Another great meal - I saved room for a nice big helping of dessert. 2nd casualty of the week - FIL ate way too fast while drinking a Backscratcher and made himself sick. He had to go back to the room while the rest of us hit MK nighttime
- Our first time seeing Happily Ever After - the new castle projection is truly unbelievable - http://imgur.com/sKWXLIh
- EMH at night - you'd think they could find a more efficient way to get people on the rides
- having a 16 year old that likes to Explore the parks and go off on his own makes me very jealous - I went to Disney one time as a kid and then didn't come back until I was almost 30. Little ******* doesn't know how lucky he is - not how much I love that kid
Today is the big Food & Wine day for us - skipping breakfast - I'm ready
AAABatteries
Footballguy
The best part (other than the obvious) about the water parks is you can get water park option but it doesn't count as park days. A four day pass with water park is 8 days at the parks if you are fine with not doing the 4 main parks those days. I think a lot of the European and South American visitors do that and stay 2 weeks.jb1020 said:
AAABatteries
Footballguy
Day 5 Ramblings:
- it's possible I punctured my stomach lining today so if I die in my sleep, it's been nice knowing you folks
- I'll do a full Food and Wine write up next week but let me hit the highlights here: 40 out of 40 booths visited, 37 out of 40 with purchases made; 58 snacks sampled; estimating 70 snack credits used; 21 beverages, 19 adult, 2 non-alcoholic; I'm kind of miserable right now but in a "#### yeah, I just ate the #### out of Food and Wine" way
- It's weird, I'm not sure if my adrenaline was flowing or I was just caught up in the excitement but even after I finished at the 40th booth I didn't feel that bad - it's 4 hours later and I think my brain is just now able to process how full I am - I mean, even an 'Ohana potsticker sounds gross right now
- My 9 yr-old trooper was by my side for all 40 booths - she and I got our picture with the F&W logo and EPCOT ball holding up a "4" and "0" our hands - I may have to post that one
- did I mention I'm miserable? I have a feeling I'm going to lay here and listen to my FIL snore for a couple hours until my body digests some food
- one of those Disney moments - lady just gives my MIL a voucher for our entire group (now 12 people) to get a free Mickey head ice cream bar
- watched River of Lights for the first time - that the definition of meh. Told my buddy it seems like one of those sides shows that you always seem to skip every trip but you'll try to watch it one day and then they get rid of it. I just watched it 2 hours ago and I think I've already forgotten the whole thing. I will say the technology is pretty cool but the show is just ordinary and it seems weird that there's no Disney tie-in
- it's possible I punctured my stomach lining today so if I die in my sleep, it's been nice knowing you folks
- I'll do a full Food and Wine write up next week but let me hit the highlights here: 40 out of 40 booths visited, 37 out of 40 with purchases made; 58 snacks sampled; estimating 70 snack credits used; 21 beverages, 19 adult, 2 non-alcoholic; I'm kind of miserable right now but in a "#### yeah, I just ate the #### out of Food and Wine" way
- It's weird, I'm not sure if my adrenaline was flowing or I was just caught up in the excitement but even after I finished at the 40th booth I didn't feel that bad - it's 4 hours later and I think my brain is just now able to process how full I am - I mean, even an 'Ohana potsticker sounds gross right now
- My 9 yr-old trooper was by my side for all 40 booths - she and I got our picture with the F&W logo and EPCOT ball holding up a "4" and "0" our hands - I may have to post that one
- did I mention I'm miserable? I have a feeling I'm going to lay here and listen to my FIL snore for a couple hours until my body digests some food
- one of those Disney moments - lady just gives my MIL a voucher for our entire group (now 12 people) to get a free Mickey head ice cream bar
- watched River of Lights for the first time - that the definition of meh. Told my buddy it seems like one of those sides shows that you always seem to skip every trip but you'll try to watch it one day and then they get rid of it. I just watched it 2 hours ago and I think I've already forgotten the whole thing. I will say the technology is pretty cool but the show is just ordinary and it seems weird that there's no Disney tie-in
AAABatteries
Footballguy
Honestly I'm a little disappointed as I thought it was 39/40 with a technicality on 40 - the three I missed were:
- Cool Post in Africa - I actually purchased a frozen Coke here for one of my kids but the booth isn't really even marked so I'm had no idea I had missed it until we were in Germany and I didn't feel like turning around - I told my daughter we would count it with her Frozen Coke but it's not an item on the menu so technically we didn't do it
- Block and Hans - beer stop - at this point I was a little buzzed from my other drinks and my friends kid was having blister problems and we were trying to figure out what to do - he's the bigger beer drinker of the two of us so we were planning to get something but kind of got lost in the shuffle
- Spain - I have no damn clue what happened here but I think we just missed this buying something at this booth or my friend went and I'm forgetting what they got or I didn't have any. This is the only one I'm angry about as the other two were drinks only but this one had food. I'm going to ask them when I see them later if we got something and I don't remember but looking at the items I don't remember any of it.
And Cappy, I was absolutely going to buy a shirt or hat with "40" on it or something like it but I didn't see anything.
Capella
Footballguy
AAABatteries
Footballguy
BREAKING NEWS: I'm an idiot. That's not the news though - I asked my buddy about how we missed Spain and he looked at me like I'm crazy - "Dude, we got Paella - you ate some" 
38 out of 40 baby!
38 out of 40 baby!
glvsav37
Footballguy
@AAABatteries, pop some Tums, loosen the belt a few notches, get over to the MK and take one for the FBG team. I know you have room on that gift card!!!
Seems the "Nachos Real Grande" the $99 plate of nachos and secret menu item will stop being served at Pecos Bills on Sept 30th.
The story mentions that there will be other secret menu items at other locations, so lets keep our eyes (and mouths) open for the next insane one.
Seems the "Nachos Real Grande" the $99 plate of nachos and secret menu item will stop being served at Pecos Bills on Sept 30th.
The story mentions that there will be other secret menu items at other locations, so lets keep our eyes (and mouths) open for the next insane one.
Last edited by a moderator:
glvsav37
Footballguy
@AAABatteries congrats on literally conquering F&W by yourself.
looking forward to your 'full' review. (see what I did there?)
thats gotta be an awesome photo!! Love those types of shots for future memories.
looking forward to your 'full' review. (see what I did there?)
jb1020
Footballguy
@AAABatteries I managed to lose a few pounds my trip last week, glad you found them for me!
Had a nice little Disney magic moment yesterday when I got home from work. The last time we rode radiator springs we got stuck on the ride with some "single rider" ladies. We got stuck at the end so we talked for a while. My wife complimented one of the girls cause she had some Mickey Leggins... @glvsav37 probably knows what I'm talking about, you can't buy them in stores, you have to know a seller. Anyways, this girl never mentioned she was a seller just asked us for our home address. She was cute so I had no problems with her knowing where we lived.
Had a big package in the mailbox...this chick sent my wife some of those leggings with her business card. Pretty cool of her.
Had a nice little Disney magic moment yesterday when I got home from work. The last time we rode radiator springs we got stuck on the ride with some "single rider" ladies. We got stuck at the end so we talked for a while. My wife complimented one of the girls cause she had some Mickey Leggins... @glvsav37 probably knows what I'm talking about, you can't buy them in stores, you have to know a seller. Anyways, this girl never mentioned she was a seller just asked us for our home address. She was cute so I had no problems with her knowing where we lived.
Had a big package in the mailbox...this chick sent my wife some of those leggings with her business card. Pretty cool of her.
Shaft41
Footballguy
We did this on our trip in July. We have five kids, so we were confident we could polish off the whole plate of nachos. Didn't happen. But it was a cool experience, and the best part was just talking to the cast member who served us; since it was in a separate room, we were the only people he had to worry about, so he just sat with us and shot the breeze and we got to ask him all kinds of questions about Disney. Our brakes had to be replaced while we were at Disney, and we'd missed our 7DMT fastpass time getting to the park late because of getting the brakes fixed, and he wrote us any anytime FP to go ride it. Awesome gesture. Of course, when we went to ride it later, the train stopped right in the mine room for about 15 minutes, and my fat butt was real worried I wasn't going to be able to get out of the vehicle if they had to evacuate us. Good times. Looking forward to hearing what other secret items might be coming.
glvsav37
Footballguy
are those the lulu-something leggings? I'm wearing mine right now. lol
thats pretty cool. Nice marketing b/c now your wife will feel guilty not buying another pair....but you need to put in the condition that the cute sales girl delivers them in person...preferably when the wife isn't home...j/k
Yankee23Fan
Fair Tax!
Welcome to the club.
The secret handshake includes a Revenge of the Nerds burp.
The secret handshake includes a Revenge of the Nerds burp.
AAABatteries
Footballguy
I almost had them convinced to do the nachos but it's freaking hot today - I think my gang is just about done. I told my wife I can't not do the last two booths at F&W so I plan to hit those while they nap - yes, I'm insane.glvsav37 said:
AAABatteries
Footballguy
I truly don't know how people come here in the summer and do the parks. I'm used to the heat and humidity living in Atlanta but it has to be miserable standing around in that heat waiting for 60 minutes to sit and listen to corny jokes on Jungle Cruise. I can see why some people hate Disney after an experience like that.
jb1020
Footballguy
We got a taste of the "schools out summer crowd" this past May. I can't say I had a bad time, but yeah, 95 degree heat and long lines after dropping $5-$10k on a trip I can see how one might hate Disney. But don't be a Jungle Cruise hater...those guys are pretty funny.
AAABatteries
Footballguy
40/40
glvsav37
Footballguy
rodg12
Footballguy
AAABatteries
Footballguy
I'm not a hater, just not something I would stand in the Florida summer heat for 60 minutes for.
JackReacher
Footballguy
My wife is back in. She made a deep run last year. Thanks for the tip on producing up the video. That's my business so shouldn't be too hard ?.
Would be so sick if you both make it.
Osaurus
Footballguy
We really do appreciate you coming to our state and dropping a ####load of
and then leaving.
AAABatteries
Footballguy
Day 6 Ramblings (a day late):
- Extra Magic Hours at MK and Space Mountain was down - even the best laid plans at Disney can get screwed up
- My younger son lost my $40 portable phone charger on Astro Orbiter - what a PITA trying to find stuff at Lost and Found - never found it
- I had forgotten they had moved the Dole Whips - I nearly had a heart attack when I couldn't find it (this happened earlier in the week but forgot to mention it)
- I really wish they would add some new attractions in Adventure and Frontier lands - the park just seems out of balance
- As already mentioned I headed back to EPCOT while everybody (read: the non-stupid people) else rested to finish what I had started - unfortunately I went without sunscreen, no hat and a freshly shaven dome. I broke down and bought a F&W hat - it's a cool looking hat but fits a little weird
- I also hit up some of my favorites while I waited for what was next (more food at a buffet)
- no spoilers for my F&W rankings but I felt very patriotic during one of my favorite items
- Said buffet was BOMA - my first adventure out to AKL - such a cool place. We loved the shop and the overlooks. I got their early and had a cocktail while I waited and watched a rain shower roll through. BOMA didn't disappoint - some of my favorites: pork shoulder, spinach and cheese paneer, butternut squash soup, corn-chicken chowder, sweet potatoes and Zebra Domes! FIL and I got African Rum Runners to drink - tasty. Ultimately not a place we will out in the permanent rotation but only because the rest of my clan is so picky.
- I've eaten so much food I probably need to fast tomorrow. Spoiler alert, not only did I not fast but I may have eaten more food today than any other day
- Went back to HS and had my first big screwup of the trip - we got on RnR and made my FIL miss Fantasmic - in my defense I called my MIL and told her to go to the show but she was confused - I sometimes hate playing tour guide.
- We had already discussed watching the Star Wars Galatic Spectacular again so all was not lost and it was just as awesome the 2nd time around - it's 10 times better than Rivers of Light
- Extra Magic Hours at MK and Space Mountain was down - even the best laid plans at Disney can get screwed up
- My younger son lost my $40 portable phone charger on Astro Orbiter - what a PITA trying to find stuff at Lost and Found - never found it
- I had forgotten they had moved the Dole Whips - I nearly had a heart attack when I couldn't find it (this happened earlier in the week but forgot to mention it)
- I really wish they would add some new attractions in Adventure and Frontier lands - the park just seems out of balance
- As already mentioned I headed back to EPCOT while everybody (read: the non-stupid people) else rested to finish what I had started
- unfortunately I went without sunscreen, no hat and a freshly shaven dome. I broke down and bought a F&W hat - it's a cool looking hat but fits a little weird- I also hit up some of my favorites while I waited for what was next (more food at a buffet)
- no spoilers for my F&W rankings but I felt very patriotic during one of my favorite items
- Said buffet was BOMA - my first adventure out to AKL - such a cool place. We loved the shop and the overlooks. I got their early and had a cocktail while I waited and watched a rain shower roll through. BOMA didn't disappoint - some of my favorites: pork shoulder, spinach and cheese paneer, butternut squash soup, corn-chicken chowder, sweet potatoes and Zebra Domes! FIL and I got African Rum Runners to drink - tasty. Ultimately not a place we will out in the permanent rotation but only because the rest of my clan is so picky.
- I've eaten so much food I probably need to fast tomorrow. Spoiler alert, not only did I not fast but I may have eaten more food today than any other day
- Went back to HS and had my first big screwup of the trip - we got on RnR and made my FIL miss Fantasmic - in my defense I called my MIL and told her to go to the show but she was confused - I sometimes hate playing tour guide.
- We had already discussed watching the Star Wars Galatic Spectacular again so all was not lost and it was just as awesome the 2nd time around - it's 10 times better than Rivers of Light
AAABatteries
Footballguy
Day 7 Ramblings:
- Pretty much reached my limit - EMH at AK was tough to get up for but we had Pandora to check out so everyone was excited - they actually let folks in the park at 7:30. Huge crowd for that early - my In-laws were trying to convince us to just leave them and I said no way - we are heading towards Flights of Passage and if we don't go now the line will be ridiculous. Getting in that early during EMH and it was still 30 minutes for us
- FoP walk up is really cool and definitely gives you the feel that you are entering a new world. I've not seen Avatar but know enough to not be lost. The theming outside is just stunning - I mean the queue outside of the building is a better attraction than Carousel of Progress - just beautiful. We did our best to move quickly and while I don't think it took the full 30 minutes to get through the line it did take a while. But again, the queue is just beautiful and some great photo opportunities- do not leave your camera in the stroller or bag - bring it in the line.
NOTE: if you are the type that doesn't like to read ride spoilers stop reading here
- Flights of Passage is quite simply amazing. I could go on and on but I'm not a writer and my words won't do it justice - basically everybody in my family said it may be their favorite rise in all of Disney now. It's was breathtaking- if you don't have a FP for it make sure you get to the park early and head straight there - or load some Netflix on your phone, put on a hat and wait 2 hours but however you do it you have to see it. Not knowing much about Avatar or not having seen the movie didn't detract from the ride for me one bit. One small recommendation if you are a bit of a rebel - don't sit or lean forward so the back support will stop short of what would "fit" - then when you are riding you can either just barely hold the handles and/or attempt to stand up just a little. Swear to god it felt like what I imagine flying would be like - just unreal
- Na'vi River Journey had so much to live up to it was inevitable that it pales to the FoP ride. But it was great too - lots of detail and things to be watching.
- We didn't stay to see Pandora lit up at night but I imagine it's gorgeous
- can it keep getting better - why yes, I take you to Homecoming at Disney Springs - OH MY GOD. This food was ridiculous- thank god I didn't eat lunch today. I'm going to give a full TS meal review but just know that this meal was my favorite of the week - so damn good. But wait, it get better - I snagged a reservation to eat there again on our way out of town tomorrow - we had shared enough during other meals to add another TS dinner. I've already decided I can't do it the whole things - I'm going to see if they will package up some of the food to take with us - I'd fall asleep driving. But it was so good I couldn't pass up hitting it up one more time.
- Heading home tomorrow - I've got a lot of F&W to write up and will add TS meals - but this trip was amazing - free dining, $1,200 in GCs, Carribean Beach, incredible TS meals, Food and Wine, got to ride the new TSM section, saw the new Soarin show in the new theater, AKL and to top it all off the Flights of Passage ride. Great trip!
- Pretty much reached my limit - EMH at AK was tough to get up for but we had Pandora to check out so everyone was excited - they actually let folks in the park at 7:30. Huge crowd for that early - my In-laws were trying to convince us to just leave them and I said no way - we are heading towards Flights of Passage and if we don't go now the line will be ridiculous. Getting in that early during EMH and it was still 30 minutes for us
- FoP walk up is really cool and definitely gives you the feel that you are entering a new world. I've not seen Avatar but know enough to not be lost. The theming outside is just stunning - I mean the queue outside of the building is a better attraction than Carousel of Progress - just beautiful. We did our best to move quickly and while I don't think it took the full 30 minutes to get through the line it did take a while. But again, the queue is just beautiful and some great photo opportunities- do not leave your camera in the stroller or bag - bring it in the line.
NOTE: if you are the type that doesn't like to read ride spoilers stop reading here
- Flights of Passage is quite simply amazing. I could go on and on but I'm not a writer and my words won't do it justice - basically everybody in my family said it may be their favorite rise in all of Disney now. It's was breathtaking- if you don't have a FP for it make sure you get to the park early and head straight there - or load some Netflix on your phone, put on a hat and wait 2 hours but however you do it you have to see it. Not knowing much about Avatar or not having seen the movie didn't detract from the ride for me one bit. One small recommendation if you are a bit of a rebel - don't sit or lean forward so the back support will stop short of what would "fit" - then when you are riding you can either just barely hold the handles and/or attempt to stand up just a little. Swear to god it felt like what I imagine flying would be like - just unreal
- Na'vi River Journey had so much to live up to it was inevitable that it pales to the FoP ride. But it was great too - lots of detail and things to be watching.
- We didn't stay to see Pandora lit up at night but I imagine it's gorgeous
- can it keep getting better - why yes, I take you to Homecoming at Disney Springs - OH MY GOD. This food was ridiculous- thank god I didn't eat lunch today. I'm going to give a full TS meal review but just know that this meal was my favorite of the week - so damn good. But wait, it get better - I snagged a reservation to eat there again on our way out of town tomorrow - we had shared enough during other meals to add another TS dinner. I've already decided I can't do it the whole things - I'm going to see if they will package up some of the food to take with us - I'd fall asleep driving. But it was so good I couldn't pass up hitting it up one more time.
- Heading home tomorrow - I've got a lot of F&W to write up and will add TS meals - but this trip was amazing - free dining, $1,200 in GCs, Carribean Beach, incredible TS meals, Food and Wine, got to ride the new TSM section, saw the new Soarin show in the new theater, AKL and to top it all off the Flights of Passage ride. Great trip!
AAABatteries
Footballguy
As mentioned previously, I’m not a writer so I won’t pretend to be one but I’ll do my best to give you an idea of how I rated the overall Marketplace and the menu items I tried. Also, I’m not a chef or a foodie – I don’t get all the intricacies of the dishes or “the slight hint of nutmeg in the after taste” – I’m just going to give you my opinion on the food and beverage and I’ll throw in some other details you may (or may not) find interesting. I’m going to break this up in to multiple posts for readability
Overall comments – we’ve been coming to Disney for a long time now and Food and Wine is by far my favorite event that Disney does each year. I’ve loved World Showcase from the first time I laid eyes on it 30 years ago and I still love it today. I also love to eat and drink and try new food and drink and this gives me that opportunity to go along with all the magic of Disney. It's Christmas, Thanksgiving and Birthday BJ day all rolled in to one.
Logistics
I strongly suggest doing the DDP (Disney Dining Plan) if you can – if you are one of the lucky few and free dining falls during the time you are traveling and then that falls during F&W well, then you are one lucky ******* like I was this year. As for which plan, that really depends – if you are really there to do F&W and just about nothing else then you can easily do the Quick Service DDP and get the most (IMO) from your credits buy using them at F&W. If you plan to do other meals then the regular plan may be a better option. Just like the old FP system you can game the DDP system somewhat by having kids on the regular plan but using their QS meals as 3 snacks (you can also do this for adult QS meals but you are paying full price for those). I think our last trip we had two kids on our plan and it worked out pretty well except when they wanted an adult meal at a TS restaurant. Any way you slice it you can do pretty well at F&W with lots of snack credits.
As a reminder, I went with a group of 8 for 8 days – we started with 128 snacks! I admit I hoarded them somewhat but nobody went hungry and we also converted at least 10 QS meals for we ended up with well over 150 snacks for the 8 days. And I have 4 kids that are not big eaters and a wife and MIL who aren’t really big eaters either. My FIL and I took full advantage.
Anyway, back to logistics. If you can’t do the dining plan then the next best options is to load up a gift card ahead of time with a predetermined amount you want to spend. This keeps you on budget and also makes it easier for you and the CM to get you in and out of line quickly. They make a version with a wristband that you can carry and just swipe quickly and easily. A note about the registers – there’s almost always 2-4 going at any time – pay attention, they move fast and you don’t want to be that guy holding up the line. Also, for the love of god, there’s a big menu board right there before you get in line. USE IT. Don’t get in line and then stare at the small menu at the register for 5 minutes deciding if you want a red or white wine – its Florida grandpa, I’m sweating my ### off. Pay attention to the receipt to make sure they got your order right - I think it happened once in 3 visits but I know some other folks had trouble with being understood – a lot of the CMs working these marketplaces are from the country they are working at so some language difficulties can arise. Last note on the marketplace – some but not all (or even many) have a 2nd window for drinks – if you are drinking around the world you can sometimes skip the longer food line to go get your drink and move on your merry way.
Seating – I’ll cover this in the marketplace write-up as best as I can but just know that if it’s crowded (and it usually is either crowded or REALLY crowded) there’s a good chance you will be standing and eating, in some cases in the sun. I typically chose to walk and eat if I was unable to find a place in the shade to stand or sit. If you are with a group it becomes even more difficult – my recommendation is to have most of the group find a table/bench while 1 or 2 go through line to carry the food.
Groups – our buddy glvsav is flying solo later this year (I’m so jealous) but most of us are going in groups – and F&W with a group can be AWESOME. But first, don’t be drunk, loud obnoxious guy/gal – everybody hates you. You want to get buzzed or even slightly hammered – go for it, I have – but know your limits and know that it’s still Disney and there’s lots of familiar with kids trying to have a wonderful vacation – not watch some drunken idiot. Off my soapbox but groups can be a blast and it’s a great opportunity to do sharing and try even more than you normally would. If you are a germaphobe then that may not be your cup of tea but I say suck it up buttercup and live a little.
Attire – this is just common sense at Disney but wear comfortable shoes and stretchy short/pants. If you are a hot chick then I’m pretty sure it’s a requirement that you wear yoga pants or Mickey won’t let you eat – sorry ladies, I don’t make the rules, I just report them. If you plan to go during the day a hat and sunglasses are a must for a bald guy like me – there’s shade to be had but it’s at a premium and you may find yourself standing/walking in the sun at any point. One other item that could be valuable if you are so inclined – a fanny pack that you fill with plastic utensils, napkins, straws and maybe some TUMS. I don’t do fanny packs ever but you may the kind of guy/gal that says “I don’t care what I look like” and roll with – I say good for you and it would definitely be needed with a large groups of older adults and kids.
Touring – most of the marketplaces, like the countries, are located around World Showcase Lagoon. EPCOT has Festival Passports you can pick up when you get there and they are located all around World Showcase and I’m pretty sure at almost all the marketplaces. I recommend getting one ahead of time if possible and do some planning or at a minimum check out some of the marketplaces you want to hit up. How you go about touring is all about personal preference – do you go in order and hit each one? Do you wander around just trying whatever sounds good? Do you determine what you want as a pre-dinner drink, appetizer, entrée, entrée 2, entrée 3, dessert, after dinner drink? Do you game the system and just go and order 4 filets in Canada and tell Le Cellier to shove their two table credits where the sun don’t shine? It’s all up to you. Obviously with it being around the lagoon you are walking in a circle either way but I do recommend having some kind of strategy. NOTE: based on exhaustive research I can attest to you being able to do a full tour of all 40 marketplaces in approximately 8 hours. But AAA, you say, how can I eat or drink at 40 booths and for 8 straight hours? My reply is what I told my buddy – “Stop being a nancy and eat the ####### Kimchi Dog”. Seriously though – you can’t – you won’t even come close and if like I did 3 years ago you have one of every cocktail you may not even make it halfway around the world. Pace yourself – share, sample, relax and enjoy. Just like with touring the parks, you can’t possibly eat and drink everything on the menu – probably not even if you did nothing but F&W for a week (although that does sound glorious). Sharing really is the best way to do it – only final recommendation there. If you are unsure on a menu item but several want to try it – just order one and let people sample – if you want to go back an order more you can but you can’t take them back. If it’s something obvious like steak in Canada then sure, go ahead and order 3 or 4.
Overall comments – we’ve been coming to Disney for a long time now and Food and Wine is by far my favorite event that Disney does each year. I’ve loved World Showcase from the first time I laid eyes on it 30 years ago and I still love it today. I also love to eat and drink and try new food and drink and this gives me that opportunity to go along with all the magic of Disney. It's Christmas, Thanksgiving and Birthday BJ day all rolled in to one.
Logistics
I strongly suggest doing the DDP (Disney Dining Plan) if you can – if you are one of the lucky few and free dining falls during the time you are traveling and then that falls during F&W well, then you are one lucky ******* like I was this year. As for which plan, that really depends – if you are really there to do F&W and just about nothing else then you can easily do the Quick Service DDP and get the most (IMO) from your credits buy using them at F&W. If you plan to do other meals then the regular plan may be a better option. Just like the old FP system you can game the DDP system somewhat by having kids on the regular plan but using their QS meals as 3 snacks (you can also do this for adult QS meals but you are paying full price for those). I think our last trip we had two kids on our plan and it worked out pretty well except when they wanted an adult meal at a TS restaurant. Any way you slice it you can do pretty well at F&W with lots of snack credits.
As a reminder, I went with a group of 8 for 8 days – we started with 128 snacks! I admit I hoarded them somewhat but nobody went hungry and we also converted at least 10 QS meals for we ended up with well over 150 snacks for the 8 days. And I have 4 kids that are not big eaters and a wife and MIL who aren’t really big eaters either. My FIL and I took full advantage.
Anyway, back to logistics. If you can’t do the dining plan then the next best options is to load up a gift card ahead of time with a predetermined amount you want to spend. This keeps you on budget and also makes it easier for you and the CM to get you in and out of line quickly. They make a version with a wristband that you can carry and just swipe quickly and easily. A note about the registers – there’s almost always 2-4 going at any time – pay attention, they move fast and you don’t want to be that guy holding up the line. Also, for the love of god, there’s a big menu board right there before you get in line. USE IT. Don’t get in line and then stare at the small menu at the register for 5 minutes deciding if you want a red or white wine – its Florida grandpa, I’m sweating my ### off. Pay attention to the receipt to make sure they got your order right - I think it happened once in 3 visits but I know some other folks had trouble with being understood – a lot of the CMs working these marketplaces are from the country they are working at so some language difficulties can arise. Last note on the marketplace – some but not all (or even many) have a 2nd window for drinks – if you are drinking around the world you can sometimes skip the longer food line to go get your drink and move on your merry way.
Seating – I’ll cover this in the marketplace write-up as best as I can but just know that if it’s crowded (and it usually is either crowded or REALLY crowded) there’s a good chance you will be standing and eating, in some cases in the sun. I typically chose to walk and eat if I was unable to find a place in the shade to stand or sit. If you are with a group it becomes even more difficult – my recommendation is to have most of the group find a table/bench while 1 or 2 go through line to carry the food.
Groups – our buddy glvsav is flying solo later this year (I’m so jealous) but most of us are going in groups – and F&W with a group can be AWESOME. But first, don’t be drunk, loud obnoxious guy/gal – everybody hates you. You want to get buzzed or even slightly hammered – go for it, I have – but know your limits and know that it’s still Disney and there’s lots of familiar with kids trying to have a wonderful vacation – not watch some drunken idiot. Off my soapbox but groups can be a blast and it’s a great opportunity to do sharing and try even more than you normally would. If you are a germaphobe then that may not be your cup of tea but I say suck it up buttercup and live a little.
Attire – this is just common sense at Disney but wear comfortable shoes and stretchy short/pants. If you are a hot chick then I’m pretty sure it’s a requirement that you wear yoga pants or Mickey won’t let you eat – sorry ladies, I don’t make the rules, I just report them. If you plan to go during the day a hat and sunglasses are a must for a bald guy like me – there’s shade to be had but it’s at a premium and you may find yourself standing/walking in the sun at any point. One other item that could be valuable if you are so inclined – a fanny pack that you fill with plastic utensils, napkins, straws and maybe some TUMS. I don’t do fanny packs ever but you may the kind of guy/gal that says “I don’t care what I look like” and roll with – I say good for you and it would definitely be needed with a large groups of older adults and kids.
Touring – most of the marketplaces, like the countries, are located around World Showcase Lagoon. EPCOT has Festival Passports you can pick up when you get there and they are located all around World Showcase and I’m pretty sure at almost all the marketplaces. I recommend getting one ahead of time if possible and do some planning or at a minimum check out some of the marketplaces you want to hit up. How you go about touring is all about personal preference – do you go in order and hit each one? Do you wander around just trying whatever sounds good? Do you determine what you want as a pre-dinner drink, appetizer, entrée, entrée 2, entrée 3, dessert, after dinner drink? Do you game the system and just go and order 4 filets in Canada and tell Le Cellier to shove their two table credits where the sun don’t shine? It’s all up to you. Obviously with it being around the lagoon you are walking in a circle either way but I do recommend having some kind of strategy. NOTE: based on exhaustive research I can attest to you being able to do a full tour of all 40 marketplaces in approximately 8 hours. But AAA, you say, how can I eat or drink at 40 booths and for 8 straight hours? My reply is what I told my buddy – “Stop being a nancy and eat the ####### Kimchi Dog”. Seriously though – you can’t – you won’t even come close and if like I did 3 years ago you have one of every cocktail you may not even make it halfway around the world. Pace yourself – share, sample, relax and enjoy. Just like with touring the parks, you can’t possibly eat and drink everything on the menu – probably not even if you did nothing but F&W for a week (although that does sound glorious). Sharing really is the best way to do it – only final recommendation there. If you are unsure on a menu item but several want to try it – just order one and let people sample – if you want to go back an order more you can but you can’t take them back. If it’s something obvious like steak in Canada then sure, go ahead and order 3 or 4.
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AAABatteries
Footballguy
Here are the 40 Marketplaces listed in the order they are in the passport. It is more of less in the order that they are located in the park - the first 2 being at the Odyssey Center and the next 8-10 being over between Innoventions and Figment and then along the path down to the start of World Showcase in Canada. Technically the Islands of the Caribbean is on the path and the Refreshment Port is not but you get the idea. If you then start from that path and head towards Mexico the remainder of the marketplaces are in the order listed. I'm going to group them just to break it up and will group them more regionally which may help in deciding which places to visit.
- EPCOT Legacy Showplace
- Craft Beers
- Flavors from Fire
- Light Lab
- Earth Eats
- Active Eats
- Coastal Eats
- The Chocolate Studio
- The Cheese Studio
- The Wine & Dine Studio
- Refreshment Port
- Islands of the Caribbean
- New Zealand
- Australia
- The Almond Orchard
- Patagonia
- Hawai'i
- Farm Fresh
- Greece
- Thailand
- Mexico
- China
- India
- Refreshment Cool Post
- Africa
- Brewer's Collection
- Germany
- Spain
- Italy
- Block & Hans
- Hops & Barley
- Japan
- Morocco
- Belgium
- Brazil
- France
- Ireland
- Scotland
- Canada
- Joffrey's Coffee & Tea Company
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AAABatteries
Footballguy
Here’s how I plan to group them – I’ve started working on the write-ups but won’t have any posted until tonight and will try to get to them all this week.
Beverage Only
Miscellaneous
The Americas
Asia/Pacific
Africa
Europe
Beverage Only
- Craft Beers
- Joffrey's Coffee & Tea Company
- Brewer's Collection
- Block & Hans
Miscellaneous
- EPCOT Legacy Showplace
- Flavors from Fire
- Light Lab
- Earth Eats
- Active Eats
- Coastal Eats
- The Chocolate Studio
- The Cheese Studio
- The Wine & Dine Studio
- Refreshment Port
- The Almond Orchard
- Farm Fresh
The Americas
- Islands of the Caribbean
- Hops & Barley
- Mexico
- Canada
- Patagonia
- Brazil
- Hawai'i
Asia/Pacific
- Thailand
- China
- Japan
- India
- New Zealand
- Australia
Africa
- Morocco
- Refreshment Cool Post
- Africa
Europe
- Germany
- Spain
- Italy
- Belgium
- France
- Ireland
- Scotland
- Greece
glvsav37
Footballguy
@AAABatteries does FBG have a 'bookmark' feature so I can save my place in that novel and come back later? That may take me 3 days to read...lol
AAABatteries
Footballguy
Lol - it's going to take me a while to finish the Marketplace write-ups - I spent about 1.5 hours during my daughters lacrosse practice doing the intro. Hopefully folks get some value out of it.
