Boathouse, Brunch and Boondoggles - Oh My! Complete and it only took me 11 months!

AuroraMeansDawn

DIS Veteran
Joined
Nov 3, 2008
:welcome: Disnerds and Dining Fans! I'm starting my second dining review. Please be patient with me as I've not done one of these since Photobucket stopped allowing third party hosting. I'm still trying to sort out the photo posting process. If there is a hint/tutorial board I'd love to review it. If you want to see my former reviews I was part of the Live Threads from a few years ago and did my first solo review titled "May the Fork Be With You" that is full of red X marks where delicious food porn used to live.

I'm Dawn, a lover of planning and big nerd, tech klutz and frequent lurker and occasional commenter on these boards.

26242844748_7149f0a1d3_z.jpg

This trip I am planning for 8 days of Disney Dining to celebrate ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!

Ok, so technically we are flying out the day after my birthday but in my 50s I am ok with letting that pass a little quietly. I may opt for a birthday button. Still haven't decided. It's not a milestone birthday so...

My husband has a conference at the Gaylord in Orlando in March and he had some frequent flier miles and Hilton Points on hand and we are almost empty nesters with the youngest kiddo graduating college in May and I'm trying to make an art form of the "boondoggle" by flying on points and camping out in his hotel at fun places around the US. Accompanying me on this journey are my DH Jess and my 23 year old college senior Dylan. Dylan wont stay the length of the trip due to school and work commitments.

Here's the BIG BOONDOGGLE PLAN

March 6 fly to Orlando (flying on points)
March 6-10 Doubletree Disney Springs (Staying on Hilton points)
March 11 - Kiddo flies home and we move over to the Gaylord for Jess' convention
March 12-14 Dawn tours solo and flies home tired, full and ready to start planning for next time
.
Our Plans so far and in true DisBoard style very subject to change with an attempt to not repeat places we have tried unless it's a different experience. .

Tuesday 3/6 - arrive, "Linner" at Biergarten No More! Instead we plan to snack at F&G Fest outdoor kitchens around the world.

If you have not seen it yet, here are the menus
http://allears.net/tp/ep/fg18/epcot-flower-and-garden-festival-outdoor-kitchens-2018.htm

Wed 3/7
- Star Wars Guided Tour - 5!hours of geeking out at DHS w/SW themed meal @ Backlot Express (never done this because, well, it's Backlot Express) Super excited about the fireworks. Bummed it no longer includes the Dessert party. We have done it and it was cool. Followed by a last minute add on dinner with Mom and our cousins at the 50s Prime Time Cafe

Thurs 3/8 - Breakfast at Kona, (I've reserved meals here at least three trips that get cancelled for one reason or another and we have a long running family joke that once I get Tonga Toast I'll have no reason to go back to WDW. I plan to order the macademia pancakes just to be safe) Early Dinner at Boathouse (new to us and hearing Lou Mongella practically "Squee" when he mentions it makes this the place for late lunch, well that and proximity to the hotel) and we Edit: (may return to the MK for fireworks unless we are tired and want to chill) WILL return to the MK for fireworks at the Tomorrowland Terrace Dessert Party with Plaza View seating, .

(Update - No Kona. They were too tired. We kept the tradition and ended up canceling it. Boathouse was rescheduled for later in the trip and we did lunch at Tony’s Town Square for the first and likely last time)

Friday 3/9 - Lunch at Satuli Canteen (new to us) and Dinner at Yak and Yeti (not new to us but we love those cream cheese wontons) with Landry Card so no ADR

Sat 3/10 - Kiddo flies home and Mom and Dad rest then early Garden Rocks ADR at Via Napoli (new to us) followed by Starship Concert.

Update - Insert an early Lunch at Boathouse here and some Sunshine Seasons snacks

Sunday 3/11 - Brunch at California Grill (the brunch is new to us) and move over to the Gaylord

Monday 3/12 - Solo Touring for me with Lunch ADR at Be Our Guest(not new to us but I love it and I have this quick service card thing with my package) but still trying to book Lunch with an Imagineer (also not new to me but I enjoyed it and the imagineer changes so its different each time and it's a very pleasant t hing to do when you're solo touring) so I'll change plans if it opens up.

Update - never did get that Dine with an Imagineer ressie but we did tack on dinner at Whispering Canyon at the end of the day. The parks were insanely crowded so it was “run away to a resort to the relative quiet” Yes, WCC was calmer.

Tuesday 3/13 - THIS IS SO WEIRD. I still cant decide what to do this day. I am touring solo. I have a breakfast ADR at BoG in case I get that Lunch with an Imagineer and miss it the day before but I might cancel and go wander through DAK solo and really explore Pandora and meander the paths. I've never loved Animal Kingdom but with Pandora I may want another day to just see what I find and do it at my own pace and sneak into lounges and people watch.

Update - ended up taking the morning off and meeting a local friend at DAK at lunch and had small plates at the Nomad Lounge. So so good! And some snacking and stayed for Rivers of Light. I was beat so this was kind of a fun day to just sit and people watch.

Wednesday 3/14 - Late flight so I'm going to spend a little more time at Disney Springs (I have to try some new spots so I may snack around) and people watch and fly home around 5 pm.

So that's the plan and I think I successfully added a pic. So there's that! I hope you'll bear with me and follow along as this Dining Review Proudly Presents - My Dinner!
 
Last edited:
Here is the cast of characters

Me - I'm Dawn. I'm 50 something and the obsessive planner, keeper of details, memory curator, planner of trips for others, podcast loving, Mr. Potatohead collecting family manager. My favorite Disney character is Pooh, and my favorite Disney film is Cinderella and my favorite attraction is Peter Pan's Flight.

My favorite Dining Experience was celebrating our 25th Anniversary at the California Grill and my favorite quick service is Landscapes of Flavor and I've not been to Disney since Disney Springs reopened so I am super excited. I'm adventurous eating adjacent in that I will try a lot but I'm not a huge swimming fish fan but I love shrimp, crab, scallops and lobster and I detest coconut - both flavor and texture. I cannot fathom why anyone wants to drink or eat sunscreen. I love a good salad and I'm a chocoholic. I'm also the wine lover in the family and believe the best cure for Disney sore feet is a generous application of Chardonnay nightly.

My DH Jesse, also 50 something and provider of boondoggles, frequent traveler, curator of dad jokes, Disney fan but not obsessed, possessor of insane sense of direction and ability to know where the closest bathroom and exit is at all times, oft selected "That Guy" (3x and we have no idea why or how - it just happens) lover of churros and sushi and hater of onions. His favorite Table Service is 50s Prime Time for sentimental reasons and his favorite quick service is any one that is close by when he is tired.
jessedawnauntpolly.JPG


My DS Dylan is 23, a college senior, a Disney kid raised in the sweet spot of Disney animation where he grew up on Aladdin, Lion King, Toy Story, Tarzan, Hercules and Emperor's New Groove. He is sentimental, loves Disney, swears he will dance with me at his wedding to "You'll Be in My Heart" from Tarzan, has grown up going to WDW and loves all the details, says his favorite Disney experience was taking the Keys to the Kingdom Tour his senior year of high school. He is an omnivore and will eat anything and has a very adventurous palate. His favorite quick service is Flame Tree BBQ because he loves sitting outside and his favorite Table Service is Teppan Edo, a natural choice for a kid who appreciations Manga and Japanese culture. Who has been stomping around these parks since he was this little man with the chili bowl hair cut and OshKosh bucket hat and grew into this young man.
epcot1999.JPG

dawndylan.JPG
 
Signing on! Sounds like a wonderful trip. We LOVE The Boathouse! Actually we love so many places at Disney Springs we're planning a trip later this year hoping to stay at SSR so we can have many meals at The Springs. :lovestruc
 
Signing on! Sounds like a wonderful trip. We LOVE The Boathouse! Actually we love so many places at Disney Springs we're planning a trip later this year hoping to stay at SSR so we can have many meals at The Springs. :lovestruc

Thanks for coming along for the ride. We loved Saratoga Springs. Had a big Disney Pixiedust trip there. I was calling looking for a room after a Port Canavaral Cruise and they had just opened and we were offered a 1 bedroom suite with a free quick service dining plan for the price of a studio and we were on the first floor with a view of DTD (back then) and the big Characters in Flight balloon. Last time we were at WDW Disney Springs was still under construction so I can't wait to check it out.
 




Now with 100% less Biergarten- because sanity took hold and the menus for the Flower and Garden Festival went up and we said “do we want to arrive and get to the resort and check in and freak out rushing around to make an ADR we feel fairly lukewarm about? Or shall we just grab snacks off the F&G carts and snack and drink around the world and hit our 6:15 FP at Frozen in Norway then grab a spot at La Hacienda near the rail and sip margaritas and snack on chips and salsa and take turns going to nearby booths for back up snacks while we wait for Illuminations and that was the clear winner! So as promised I’ve already changed a plan that even altered the title of my thread! Cest la vie! It probably isn’t my first change.
 
Last edited:
I’m here and ready to drool at pics and description of yummy food experiences :figment:
So glad you’re joining us! Love the bouncing Figment! Santa put a retro Figment magic band in my stocking - now if he would just tuck Dreamfinder in there and I’ll be happy! Hope we can be drool worthy!

Sounds like you have some great meals planned!
Thanks for joining in and we hope we get good food porn pics and don’t disappoint! Welcome!
 
Now with 100% less Biergarten- because sanity took hold and the menus for the Flower and Garden Festival went up and we said “do we want to arrive and get to the resort and check in and freak out rushing around to make an ADR we feel fairly Luke warm about? Or shall we just grab snacks off the F&G carts and snack and drink around the world and hit our 6:15 FP at Frozen in norway then grab a spot at La Hacienda near the tmrail and sip margaritas and snack on chips and salsa and take turns going to nearby booths for back up snacks while we wait for Illuminations and that was the clear winner! So as promised I’ve alre changed a plan that even altered the title of my thread! Cest la vie! It probably isn’t my first change.


Good move!
 
We have brunch at CA Grill on 3/11 as well. Our reservation is at 12:15. Maybe we will see you there!
 
Just a quick change to the line up. I called and added the Tomorrowland Terrace Fireworks Dessert Party to our Magic Kingdom Day on Thursday March 8. I want to be sure we get back into the park in time for Happily Ever After. I hope we will have a nice view and a relaxed end to the day. I'll have been running hard for a few days at this point so a break and easy evening seems just right. I will likely change things on the fly too but I'm about to give up on getting the Dining with an Imagineer lunch. It just wont open up so I spent the money on this instead. We did the Star Wars Galactic Dessert Party last time and enjoyed it and I think my boys (particularly the DH who hates crowds for parades and fireworks) will be happier with a reserved seating area. And it's another bucket list item for me. Win Win.

Have a magical day!
 
At Last - some F&G offerings with a side of churros

We are here and having a blast.

A few thoughts - don’t let anyone fool you. Staying at a Disney Springs hotel is not the same bubble as staying at a Disney resort and the Uber drivers hop on the highway to take you to the parks and it’s not the same. Maybe the fact I recently watched the movie The Florida Project a few weeks ago makes it more obvious to me too. .

Yes, it is on property but I do miss the background music and ambiance and the Disney “feel” but I am grateful because we are here on points and it’s nice to have some extra space.

It’s fine and I am still at Disney World so how can I complain? We have been grabbing an Uber to get to the parks for simplicity’s sake. They have a shuttle that runs on the half hour but it’s not been convenient for us to get to where we want to be when we want to be there and an Uber to Epcot and to DHS has been $8 or so and it’s worth it for us.

Now let’s talk food!

We flew in very early and had some standard airport fast food breakfast sandwiches that I spared you from viewing- they looked like you think they would.

We grabbed our shuttle at MCO and got to the hotel around 1:00 and we were rolling into Epcot by 1:45.and used our first FP to tour the history of time and thank the Phoenicians and I steered the boys past the many temptations of Sunshine Seasons and popcorn carts to the World Showcase and we were famished by the time we arrived at our first stop:

The Honey Bee-stro Hosted by National Honey Board


Honey Tandoori Chicken Flatbread with White Cheddar Cheese, charred vegetables, Clover Honey Sour Cream and Micro Watercress x 2 since everyone was starving and we were sharing. $5.25 each
948CAC61-AA66-4058-B472-D034E8AA60FF.jpeg

These are good sized - 8” or so long and the roasted vegetables can vary as you can see one had roasted red peppers and the other was just onions. The micro watercress seemed to be MIA on these too. They are garlicky and the tandoori cooking method makes it tender. The spice profile sits well in the background. It was not quite as spicy as I prefer but it’s good for the mass appeal and the white cheddar gives it just enough of a mellow bite. I liked the chewy bread with the lacy melted edges of the cheese and balance with the tender chicken. I would get this again and consider it a good value.

Honey-Peach Cobbler Freeze with Blueberry Vodka $4.25
D72B8EAB-AD59-4A5D-B76F-525617EDE55F.jpeg

This was a miss for me. My son wanted to try it and I thought it was just cloyingly sweet. That said I don’t love peach flavor and the blueberry was very subtle. I had trouble finding the flavors over the sweetness so I tried a sip and left the rest for the boys. Maybe if you’re a cobbler lover it might be your thing. And it was kind of tiny.

Since we were right next to Pineapple Promenade and my son had his eye on the

Spicy Hot Dog - served with Pineapple Chutney and Plantain Chips $7.50
E978F72B-5F28-4573-AFB4-F06A7619A8FF.jpeg
The spicy hotdog is bright red and spicier than I anticipated and while I wasn’t really sure about this offering I was pleasantly surprised by how the sweet and acidic pineapple chutney worked with the crisp of the plantain chips. It had a strong flavorful bite to it and was actually quite good. I am not as enthused by the $7.50 price tag with so many other offerings of what I might consider “nicer” foods but I hate to show hot dog prejudice but it was interesting

We rounded the corner into Canada and stopped for the

Seared Scallops - served with French Green Beans, Butter Potatoes, Brown Butter Vinaigrette and Apple-wood Smoked Bacon $6.50

D2F303BA-654E-4A28-BB3B-4BC3BE4911A0.jpeg
These were very nice. Most boats I saw came with two medium sized scallops that were nice and tender and not over cooked. The vinaigrette had a bite and reminded me of Dijon though it’s not in the description. The beans were tender crisp and buttery. The potatoes had a nice roast and were fluffy inside. A perfect small bite. I think it was delicious but small.

Beef Tenderloin Tips - served with Mushroom Bordelaise Sauce, Whipped Potatoes with Garden Vegetables $6.75

8ED9EA1F-E2F5-4101-9E67-97F9531C8CAC.jpeg

A nice tasting sized boat of tender beef tips and a flavor rich sauce. I don’t always expect a nice tender forkful if meat at a stand so this was a lovely surprise. Fork tender and tasty and the nice surprise of nutty roasted pearl onions and carrots that were perfect and not cooked to mush! Hearty and very nice.

The boys are starting to stir so I will continue on as time allows. For now I need to get dressed and get ready for the Magic Kingdom- thank you for reading along! I’ll be back later with the promised churros!
 
Last edited:
Enjoying your trip report so far! We did a points trip and stayed at the Hilton Bonnet Creek in December. Agree it isn’t the bubble that is my favorite but it was a beautiful hotel and for points I would do it again!
 
Enjoying your trip report so far! We did a points trip and stayed at the Hilton Bonnet Creek in December. Agree it isn’t the bubble that is my favorite but it was a beautiful hotel and for points I would do it again!

Thanks so much and yes, I will take a day at Disney at any hotel over any at home. I wouldn’t call this walking distance at half a mile to the edge of Disney Springs but then again it’s all relative to how much you want to walk, right? We move over to the Gaylord on Sunday and I’ll enjoy that too and having a bedroom and living area had been a godsend for getting much needed good rest!
 
Big thumb’s up on your reviews so far!

I can “hear” your enthusiasm. :D
Thanks! I try to be honest and we’ve had some spectacular meals and some good and a few duds so far but lots of wow moments and good laughs so all around it’s been grand! I hope you find something helpful here!
 

GET A DISNEY VACATION QUOTE

Dreams Unlimited Travel is committed to providing you with the very best vacation planning experience possible. Our Vacation Planners are experts and will share their honest advice to help you have a magical vacation.

Let us help you with your next Disney Vacation!










Top