August 2020. Quick Trip

[HolRae]

I just wanted to do a quick report of my recent trip. I always enjoy reading everyone’s reports to help plan my trips so thought I would share.
I was there 8/9-8/12. 3 nights. This was the shortest trip I have ever done.
I headed straight to Magic Kingdom. (I am not in love with the new castle colors) It felt so good to be in the park again.

For lunch I grabbed a popcorn and an ice water and found a table behind the Christmas shop. There is nothing better than Disney popcorn and I loved the design of the box.


After lunch I rode a few rides and headed back to the hotel to check out my room.

 

[HolRae]

I stayed at the Riviera. This was my first time staying at this resort. My room was great and the view was gorgeous.



Dinner my first night was at Topolino located on the top floor of the resort. It was nice not to have to go out in the heat to get to the restaurant. There is a scanner to check in but I could not get it to work. The menu was also a scanner code.

They bring bread and olive oil to the table.

The bread was fresh and the oil was good. Last time I was here there were 2 different olive oils and I loved the stronger one. This was not that one. I did not ask if the other oil was available because I didn’t want to fill up on the bread.

I started with a yummy drink.
Midi Spritz: Magellan Gin, Aperol, Grapefruit, Sainte-Hilaire Blanquette de Limoux Brut. I really enjoyed this.

For an appetizer I went with Ricotta: Tomato, Aged Balsamic, Cracked Pepper, Basil, Epi. This was excellent.

I choose a pasta for my entree.
Rigatoni: Braised Chicken Sugo, Dandelion Greens, Parmesan-Reggiano

This was good but not anything special. I was quite full at this point so I ordered dessert to go.
Warm Valrhona Chocolate Cake: Caramel Center, Chantilly, Raspberries

This was soooo Yummy.
The restaurant was beautiful and the service was great.

 

[quietly]

Great review so far. Can’t wait to hear more!

 

[a1tinkfans]

Thx for sharing.

 

[pepperandchips]

Oh man, that Topolino review made me so hungry!!!!

 

[HolRae]

Great review so far. Can’t wait to hear more!

Thanks for following. I hope to write more soon.

Thx for sharing.

Thx for reading.

Oh man, that Topolino review made me so hungry!!!!

It made me hungry writing it. I can’t wait to get back again.

 

[HolRae]

Day 2

Day 2 was Animal Kingdom. This is my favorite park and I was looking forward to low crowds so I could do more exploring. I arrived 15 minutes after park opening to this:

There was no one at temperature check, security, or park entrance. It was great. I took my time wandering through the oasis and Dinoland. I grabbed a tiger tail and a water at Isle of Java. I took it into the River of Light dessert party area to enjoy it. As I was eating Mickey and friends came by on a pontoon. Perfect start to the day.




After breakfast I continued to slowly wander through Asia and made my way over to the safari. Then I did Gorilla Falls Trail and the new bird show. I enjoyed the new show more than the last couple versions the had.
Then it was time for lunch.

 

[sarah4770]

I’ll have to check out Topolino. The bread looks good!

 

[HolRae]

I’ll have to check out Topolino. The bread looks good!

The bread is great. The Skyliner makes it easy to get there.

 

[HolRae]

Day 2 Lunch
Lunch was at Yak & Yeti. This is a favorite of mine and I always order the same thing. Tuna nachos and wonton dessert. I started with a Kiwi Coconut Rita. This had a slight sweetness but not too much. It was cold and refreshing and hit the spot.



Bang Bang Calamari. This was really good. Crisp and spicy.

For my entree I ordered the Ahi Tuna Nachos: Sushi grade Ahi Tuna, Asian slaw, crispy fried wontons, wasabi aioli, sweet soy glaze. These were amazing as always. Perfect combination of flavors and textures.

After this I was way to full for dessert so I headed back out to explore some more. I took another safari, did a drawing class, and headed to Pandora.

 

[pepperandchips]

I started with a Kiwi Coconut Rita. This had a slight sweetness but not too much. It was cold and refreshing and hit the spot.

Wow, this sounds divine! Wondering what's in my home bar supply kit now...

Bang Bang Calamari. This was really good. Crisp and spicy.

Yum, I have never seen this! I have had their bang bang shrimp but never even seen a calamari option. That sounds good too. If I had to choose between dessert and appetizers, it is a tough call but it sounds like your app was a nice tradeoff. Their wonton dessert is excellent though.

Thanks for more great photos!

 

[HolRae]

The heat was really starting to get to me so I took a short break at the relaxation station set up in Pizzafari. This worked out great. There were very few people in here and a few minutes in the air conditioning was all I needed. I headed into Pandora. Flight of Passage and Navi River Journey both had posted wait times of 10 minutes. Flight of Passage was walk on. I think I must have hit NRJ at cleaning time. The first few minutes the line did not move but once we started going we kept moving. I then spent some time wandering and taking pictures until it was time to check in for dinner.

Tiffins had a scanner to check in and for the menu. I once again had trouble checking in and the greeter had to walk me in. I’m sure this is a me issue and doesn’t happen to everyone but was slightly annoying. After checking in in person I was seated immediately in the Trek room. This room is located off the back corner of Nomad Lounge. I was literally the only person in the room. It was a rather strange feeling.

I ordered my favorite drink from Nomads -Annapurna Zing-Bombay Sapphire Gin, Passion Fruit Purée, Mint, Lime, Ginger Beer. This drink is amazing. If you haven’t tried it you should.

I also ordered an iced tea which is always good here. Bread and dipping sauce was brought out. The first time I had this bread I did not care for the dipping sauce but now I love it. It is very unique.

For my entree I went with Surf and Turf- South African Braai Spiced Beef Tenderloin, Seared Scallops, Potato Pave, Grilled Vegetables, Dhania Butter, Cola Demi-Glacé. The veggies were a fun variety of somewhat unique veggies. The Potato (in the pic it looks like a third piece of steak) was good but a little dry. The steak was tender, flavorful, and a perfect medium rare. The scallops were the standout on the plate. Perfectly cooked and melt in your mouth tender. I cleaned my plate.


I enjoyed my meal here. The food and service were both excellent. It was close to park close when I finished up so I headed back to the resort. I ended the night watching Happily Ever After on demand on the tv while the lightening storm outside lit up the room like actual fireworks.

 

[HolRae]

Day 3 brought sunshine and blue skies. The plan today was to hit Disney Springs at opening and shop until lunch. After lunch take a break at the hotel and then head to Epcot for the late afternoon/evening.


I arrived at World of Disney just as they were opening. There was a line of people waiting to get in but as soon as the door was opened we walked right in. I visited several other stores before it was time for an early lunch at Homecomin. I was seated by the water and there were only 2 other tables seated in this area. The menu here was by scanner but they also had a paper menu available. I started with Fig & Berries- Fresh muddled strawberries with 1800 Silver Tequila, fig jam, agave and lime juice. This was perfect.

I went with 2 appetizers for my meal.
Bee Haven Bay Fried Green Tomatoes: shaved ham, remoulade sauce and dressed local greens. I loved this. The tomatoes were fresh and the breading was crispy. The salty ham and the sauce were the perfect combination.

My second appetizer was Thigh High Chicken Biscuits: Three biscuits topped with Chef Art’s famous fried chicken thighs and bread and butter pickles. Drizzled with hot honey. These were great also. The chicken was crisp and juicy, the biscuit was fresh and warm, the pickles added a little freshness and the hot honey was the perfect amount of spice.

After lunch I headed back to the resort to relax and cool off.

 

[HolRae]

Wow, this sounds divine! Wondering what's in my home bar supply kit now...
I like how you think.

Yum, I have never seen this! I have had their bang bang shrimp but never even seen a calamari option. That sounds good too. If I had to choose between dessert and appetizers, it is a tough call but it sounds like your app was a nice tradeoff. Their wonton dessert is excellent though.

Thanks for more great photos!

I saw the shrimp on the menu but I am a sucker for calamari. I was a tough choice between the calamari and dessert.

 

[ThreeBoyMama]

Those tuna nachos are amazing. I could eat a whole plate of them right now! Your AK day sounded perfect. Homecoming looked great too--I want that drink!

 

[wishicouldgomoreofte]

Oh my gosh, it all looks so good, but I think I need to try those Ahi Tuna nachos at Yak & Yeti. Like you, I usually get the same things, depending on if I am dining alone, or sharing, but I have not tried those yet, and am now decided I must on my next trip. And the Fried Green Tomatoes at Homecoming look and sound really good too. Enjoying your trip report/dining review.

 

[HolRae]

Those tuna nachos are amazing. I could eat a whole plate of them right now! Your AK day sounded perfect. Homecoming looked great too--I want that drink!

Animal Kingdom was great. I think if the other parks had been that empty it might have felt off but at AK it was perfect.

Oh my gosh, it all looks so good, but I think I need to try those Ahi Tuna nachos at Yak & Yeti. Like you, I usually get the same things, depending on if I am dining alone, or sharing, but I have not tried those yet, and am now decided I must on my next trip. And the Fried Green Tomatoes at Homecoming look and sound really good too. Enjoying your trip report/dining review.

The tuna nachos are the best. Definitely enough to share. And even better my server told me I had a $25 reward on my Landry’s card when he brought the check so they were free. I always love me a good fried green tomato and these were great.

 

[HolRae]

After relaxing at the resort I headed to Epcot for the evening. The Skyliner was down due to weather so I had to take a bus. This worked out ok because I planned to do the front of the park first anyways. I rode Soarin and Living with the Land before heading to World Showcase. I had dinner reservations at Tutto Italia. I ate here once several years ago and the whole experience was not good from service to food. I have been wanting to give it a second chance for a while now and with so many places still closed this seemed like a good time.

I ordered an iced tea for my drink. It was a good iced tea, cold and refreshing.

My server brought bread and olive oil. This was fine but nothing special.

For my entree I ordered the Gnocchi Sorrentia - Potato dumplings, roasted tomatoes, pomodoro sauce, burrata cheese. I loved this dish. It sauce tasted fresh and Burrata makes everything better. I had a great overall experience here this time and look forward to returning on my next trip.

After dinner I wandered through the countries. I finished the evening with a blackberry beer from the Canada booth. I liked it but I am a fan of fruity beer.

The Skyliner was back up and running so it was a pleasant ride back to the resort.

 

[erinch]

Following!

 

[ThreeBoyMama]

Yum that gnocchi looks SO good!