Complete!! Muggles and Magic: Rain, rain go away 2014

[LowesChevy]

Via Napoli: lunch

We arrived early and checked in with the front desk. It looked pretty busy, but there were many open tables. It was not long before they called us to be seated though and we were taken to a table across from the community table. The water fellow came over and DF tried to order beer when he was asking about water lol. Elena arrived to introduce herself and we went ahead with our order.
Via Napoli by liverpoollover8, on Flickr

We went with our favorite pollo salad and a large sausage pie. The salads may look expensive, but between the 3 of us it costs about what the house salad cost per person. This salad has a sweet and tangy taste and there is plenty of crunch from the cucumbers and crispy wonton garnish. There is also cantaloupe, which is kind of weird in a salad, but it adds a nice sweetness to the tangy after bite.
Via Napoli: Pollo salad by liverpoollover8, on Flickr

As we were finishing our last bites of salad our pie arrived. The large piccante-or spicy sausage pie looked very well cooked. Sometimes it gets a little too charred for my liking, but this one was perfect. They call it piccante which is as I understand a spicy sausage, but I don’t detect too much heat from the finely ground meat. My only complaint was that the pizza was slightly soggy in the middle, I don’t know if it sat too long or didn’t get crisped enough in the oven. We only left two slices, so I would definitely say a large pie is most likely enough for 2-3 people sans and appetizer.
Via Napoli: Sausage Pizza by liverpoollover8, on Flickr

We couldn’t resist the zeppole for dessert. They are excellent here! I have no time for gelato or any other nonsense, just give me the deep fried fritters-omg! They come with chocolate ganache and freshly whipped barely sweetened whipped cream. Judging from the recipe they look similar to choux pastry and are known as Italian doughnuts. Deep fried butter and eggs-how can you go wrong?
Via Napoli: Sausage Pizza by liverpoollover8, on Flickr

The busser took our bottle of Aqua Panna water and didn’t bother to pour the rest in one of our glasses, so that was mildly annoying and wasteful. It wasn’t a lot of water, but enough for a few last gulps. Other than that lunch was great, service was good.

****4 Stars

 

[LowesChevy]

It finally had quit raining-lunch was perfect timing! We lingered around Italy a little more and then made our way back to the monorail. There was a high chance of rain later on and the radar didn’t look good!

DF and I decided to put on our bathing suits and head down to the pool while DM was taking a nap. We weren’t there too long and the rain began, then heavier rain, so we grabbed a table over at the bar and had a drink. A Corona, a pina colava and a meat and cheese plate, well what they called a plate, but it wasn’t bad or anything. Shortly after that it was deluging and lighting was spotted so the CM had to clear the pool deck. Luckily we were with some other folks and they knew how to take the back door to the stairs!
I snapped this photograph of a ferry coming over to assist with MNSSHP crowds later in the afternoon, but I felt bad for party goers tonight because it was awful! I was glad we had a reservation at Citricos for dinner and we didn’t have to worry about getting wet at all. Good planning- I patted myself on the back lol.

We got prettied up and made our way over to the Contemporary. I figured we needed some extra time in case the monorails were jammed up and they sure were! It was rainy, wet and there were people everywhere, we ended up waiting for another monorail as all of the cars were full heading from the Magic Kingdom with guests leaving. Eventually we boarded and made it all the way to the Grand Floridian.

Coming up Citricos

 

[LowesChevy]

Citricos

There was plenty of time before our adr time so we meandered around the lobby for a while listening to the band play. The shops here too have noticeably less merchandise than years past. M. Mercantile seemed very empty and it looked as though the adult clothing had disappeared altogether. We didn’t stop at the lower level men’s and ladies shops to see if they expanded their Disney wear, but maybe they had.

The lobby was dead at Citricos when I checked in for our adr. It was still pouring rain outside and very few people were venturing out on property. Our table was ready in minutes and we were taken to the central section of the restaurant given a view of both the courtyard and the kitchen. Adrian came over within seconds to introduce herself and offer us a cocktail. I was adventurous tonight and went with a Mickey Mouse.
Mickey Mouse
Mickey Mouse by liverpoollover8, on Flickr
Citricos: Blonde Ale by liverpoollover8, on Flickr

Olive bread
Citrocos: Bread by liverpoollover8, on Flickr

The old crab cake is gone and the new appetizer and starter menu doesn’t impress me much anymore. The albondiga is a huge portion, but it wasn’t completely cooked in the middle for me and ground anything should really be cooked thoroughly. Tasty, but nothing to compel me to order it again. The cheese plate was a good selection, but DM melon salad was just junk. The melon was hard and not ripe and thought the field greens were too leafy and bitter for the dish.
Lamb albondiga
Citricos: Lamb albondiga by liverpoollover8, on Flickr

Cheese plate
Citricos: Cheese Plate by liverpoollover8, on Flickr

Melon salad
Citricos: melon salad by liverpoollover8, on Flickr

Our appetizer plates were cleared and we enjoyed the view, by now the heavy rain had stopped. Adrian checked in with us frequently and made sure we were good on beverages and flat ware. Our entrees arrived a little while later

Pan seared cod with mussels and clams. The fish was perfectly cooked and served in a succulent broth. This was a great dish for the non red meat eater or someone looking for something on the lighter side.
Citricos: Seared Cod with clams and mussels by liverpoollover8, on Flickr

Veal chop-this was breaded and fried with a hint of citrus. Lovely indeed.
Citricos: Veal Cutlet by liverpoollover8, on Flickr

DM had the beef tenderloin, which in the past had been a filet. Not sure if it is temporary or permanent, but it was just not near the quality they were charging for it. The menu item is a signature item, but the quality is too poor now.

Warm chocolate banana torte
Citricos: Warm banana torte by liverpoollover8, on Flickr

I originally had Citricos on board for our January trip, but I have since changed it to the California Grill. The service was great, but this once dependable spot has left a bitter taste in my mouth. DM can be a pain to please, but the salad and entrée were just no good enough.

***3 Stars--Meh a first for Citricos

 

[LowesChevy]

September 24

Disney Hollywood Studios

We drive to DHS to speed up the travel process. Having the car is a nice plus, especially when heading to DTD. Luckily we arrived and got a good spot. Last year we literally were at the end of the row and it was shorter to walk straight to the 3rd party busses.

It was just past the park opening and we made our way for TSMM to see how bad the stand by line was and at 80 minutes that is pretty brutal.
We walked back across the park and rode Star Tours. I was pretty happy we had a sequence I had not seen before. Last year we had the same experience twice, which I thought was a pretty slim chance.
IMG_0688 by liverpoollover8, on Flickr
IMG_0692 by liverpoollover8, on Flickr
IMG_0699 by liverpoollover8, on Flickr

The Great Movie Ride had no standby line and as the day went on that line would only get longer. The attraction actually eats up a large portion of time and it is nice and cool inside. It could definitely use some changes, but what? Hopefully it will get some love in the near future, but for now every CM’s favorite genre will be still be horror.
IMG_0702 by liverpoollover8, on Flickr

Our time table to Toy Story Midway Mania was up and walked right on just about. Still a darn kitty, but I am going to brush up on the strategy guideline for January! Still pretty long stand by lines, so perhaps that had something to do with their decision to allow no standby. I do not get the whole concept though, part of the experience is waiting in line..why do they assume that lines should be short? Perhaps there isn’t enough to do in the park if one ride has waits for over an hour. My brain would say build more! Also if they are going to reduce wait times, they better find some other forms of attractions. I can’t wait to see how boring it will be come January when Indiana Jones and the Backlot are both closed! The park will get boring fast.
IMG_0706 by liverpoollover8, on Flickr

We had less than an hour before our time slot for Indiana Jones would open up, so it was off to Sunset Boulevard. Between the 2, I would rather wait stand by for Tower of Terror because the crowds for Rock ‘N’ Roller Coaster are more sporadic. Plus I prefer the atmosphere and queue of ToT. The stand by line said 40 minutes and that’s about what we waited by the time we were done leaving me with plenty of time to get some photographs! ToT is probably right beneath Haunted Mansion on my favorites list to be fair.
IMG_0710 by liverpoollover8, on Flickr
IMG_0714 by liverpoollover8, on Flickr
IMG_0731 by liverpoollover8, on Flickr

We wandered in the shops on the Boulevard and then made our way to Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Show Spectacular. It was about perfect timing for the show. The FP seats are right in the center and while you are sitting there it is hard to imagine the amount of people it will take to fill the stadium, but by the time the show starts the place is packed!
IMG_0843 by liverpoollover8, on Flickr
IMG_0774 by liverpoollover8, on Flickr
IMG_0784 by liverpoollover8, on Flickr

It always was worth a view every year and I we will miss it. I hope that they have a new attraction in mind that can entertain a similar amount of people at once because it really is a crowd grabber.
By the time the show was over, lunch at Mama Melrose was up next!

 

[LowesChevy]

Mama Melrose’s

It is amazing that no matter what time of year this place is always jammed. I like how the restaurants have bouncers out front asking people if they have a reservation or not to keep people from freely wandering in and holding other guests up at the desk. Mama’s also does not have a bar guests can grab a seat at either. The park is on the smaller side, but the restaurants rarely seem to have walk in space.

Mama Melrose’s has been a favorite of ours for many years. Nope, it’s not your average Italian restaurant down the street, but then again which restaurant in Disney offers an experience like your neighborhood grill?
It wasn’t long after we were seated when Maria arrived to introduce herself and take our drink order. We were still figuring out what we wanted off the menu, but she encouraged us to take our time. In the meantime a family was seated by us and one of the children was walking around the table, around and around at times nearly taking our servers and other guests. I mean are people totally oblivious to their children at times or what?! It was making everyone nervous. Luckily the servers were careful enough to get around her and not get bumped, but she could have gotten a tray dumped on her or dishes could have gone flying. The parents were just too busy playing with their phones to pay attention.
IMG_0849 by liverpoollover8, on Flickr

The menu hasn’t changed much over the years. There used to be more flatbreads, but over time the menus become smaller and more precise to save on inventory. Still a nice variety of starters and flatbreads to share, which is perfect for us. We went with the Caesar salad, house salad, margarita and the carne flatbread.
IMG_0848 by liverpoollover8, on Flickr

Caesar
Mama Melrose's: Caesar Salad by liverpoollover8, on Flickr

House
Mama Melrose's: House salad by liverpoollover8, on Flickr

The salads are sharing sized portions and the 3 of us can easily devour 2 salads between us plus some leftover flatbreads. The Caesar was well drenched and had a lovely mild anchovy taste with one crunch crouton to split. The house salad has a few sliced vegetables and some salami, but not enough to really get excited about. The flatbreads arrived and they were noticeably thinner than previous years. I know they are cutting costs, but come on! If these things get any thinner I can read a newspaper through them! Sorry the carne photo was not very clear so I didn’t post it. Lots of meat toppings though.

Margarita flatbread
Mama Melrose's: Margarita flatbread by liverpoollover8, on Flickr

Over all the food was good and the service was great as usually for us. We will definitely be back because this happens to be one of the few great places to eat at DHS

****4 Stars --Good at Mama Melrose’s

After lunch we did Muppetvision 3D and then headed back to BLT for a rest!

 

[vleeth]

DHS really needs some more attractions. It seems like Disney takes a really long time to get new stuff in. Who knows how long it will take. I plan on skipping DHS in September 2015.

One of our Star Tours shows had a scene with snow and I really liked that one.

 

[LowesChevy]

DHS really needs some more attractions. It seems like Disney takes a really long time to get new stuff in. Who knows how long it will take. I plan on skipping DHS in September 2015.

I know! I'd like to know what they will do if they do shut down Indiana Jones. That's an awful lot of folks looking for something to do during the day. Also seeing the Backlot Tour and now Legend of Jack Sparrow closing. Besides another TSMM track, the park needs some attractions fast!

 

[LowesChevy]

House of Blues

It was lightly sprinkling as we arrived at Downtown Disney Westside. The current parking lot actually isn’t too much of a hike as I mentioned before to the Westside. It is also close to the ferry boat shuttle launch for POR, OKW and SS. We went right to the HOB and they were able to seat us earlier than our adr. I think we were on the lucky side because the place really started to fill up after we were seated!

IMG_0890 by liverpoollover8, on Flickr
IMG_0889 by liverpoollover8, on Flickr
IMG_0877 by liverpoollover8, on Flickr

Aaron came over immediately after we were seated to offer us a cocktail or beverage of choice. I took the liberty in ordering us some cornbread with maple butter for starters. I discovered this spot last year as we had a great lunch! The menu is large and has small bites, appetizers, burgers, sandwiches, full entrees and even tacos. It seems to have something for everyone to enjoy. As far as dinner choices, I was torn between tacos and the burger, but in the end I wanted a big juicy piece of red meat. I was behaving by eating fish, but I was craving beef now!

IMG_0876 by liverpoollover8, on Flickr

Cornbread-served with maple butter. It is a bit on the sweet side for us, but still very good moist and crumbly.
House of Blues: Jalapeno Cornbread by liverpoollover8, on Flickr

The Juicy Lucy has applewood smoked bacon mixed right into the patty. It is juicy and smoky and filled with gooey cheese and the menu said crispy fried jalapenos, but it was like 3 bits of a small pepper on one side of the burger when I got it. Don’t worry about them being to overpowering or if there is an abundance of them. The club sandwich came with a chipotle mayonnaise and was a giant sandwich. The ribs were well done with just the right amount of smoke according to DF.

Juicy Lucy
House of Blues: Juicy Lucy by liverpoollover8, on Flickr

Club Sandwich
House of Blues: Club sandwich by liverpoollover8, on Flickr

Half rack
House of Blues: Half rack of ribs by liverpoollover8, on Flickr
All in all the food was great. Aaron was very attentive and helpful with beer suggestions. Our meal was wonderful and the table behind was starting to get really rowdy! Time to get along little doggies.

****4 Stars Very Good- House of Blues

The rain had cleared out and we decided to walk down through Pleasure Island or well what’s left of PI. The walk itself was nice-a breeze to the air, but my heavens I was tired of looking at walls lol. I had completely forgotten about the soccer shop and was happy to find Liverpool FC kits! I guess I was caught up in all of the other excitement over the trip. DF even bought me an away kit-then he couldn’t believe how much they cost!  Hey he offered! I bought a few goodies at D-Street like some Vinylmation juniors and Theme Park Starz as well. I ended up with 3 Dorys, like really?!

Can’t wait to see Disney Springs completed, but I bet it will be a while! So long for now and see you at Kona Café tomorrow morning.

 

[LowesChevy]

September 25th

Kona Café

Our reservation was for 9:05 AM and normally if you can get to Kona before 9 and adr isn’t always necessary this time of year. The Polynesian is our all time favorite resort, but in it’s current state, we have no desire to stay there until it is nearing completion. The stories are true-there are walls up everywhere! It is really dark in the lobby when the sun isn’t out either.
Much like the Wave, Citricos, and Artist Point members of the staff at Kona Café have been there for many years. It is great to see familiar faces because you feel like the CMs must enjoy their jobs if they stick around, especially in the same place.

It didn’t take long to be seated and almost immediately Muthea was over to greet us. She was incredibly friendly and helpful and she noticed quickly that we were a decisive bunch. DM had to have her Tonga Toast, while I had my favorite pineapple macadamia nut pancakes and father had a ham and cheese omelet –yawn, you can get that anywhere! I have been having some reflux issues on the trip, but I was feeling pretty good so I went all out for some
Kona coffee!
Kona Cafe by liverpoollover8, on Flickr
Kona Cafe by liverpoollover8, on Flickr

The Tonga Toast were perfectly cooked. Sometimes you can tell if they were busy and tried to fry a new batch before the oil heated back up to the right temperature because it will be soggy and loaded with grease. This was perfectly crisp! The pineapple macadamia nut pancakes did have noticeably less nuts, but there were still plenty studded in the cakes. I think they were probably using too many before and the cost accounting had caught up with them on the dish. Still delicious as always. DF enjoyed his omelet, but he dislikes the home fries here…of course he had a problem with every breakfast spot’s hash browns, so he is on his own. Eat it or not, I happen to enjoy them.
Kona Cafe: Tonga Toast by liverpoollover8, on Flickr

Breakfast was perfect. We were in and out and off to the Magic Kingdom in a short period of time. That is exactly what I am looking for in breakfast before the park. I gave Muthea a Lilo and Stitch CM appreciation card and she was so touched by the gesture. They are online by Tagrel. You can personalize them and I wrap them in tape to protect the paper. They are a really nice way to thank a CM for going out of their way to help or if they provided a great service.

****5 Stars-wonderful breakfast Kona Café

After breakfast we wandered around the Great Ceremonial House and looked at many of the ongoing changes. I am sure that it will be amazing when complete, but what a hideous beast the place is now!
Time for the Magic Kingdom one last time before we head to the Beach Club

 

[LowesChevy]

Magic Kingdom

So as I mentioned earlier this would be our last full day and most likely our last time spent at the MK this trip. I planned it that way to keep down on the travel time from the Beach Club. More time would be spent at MK in the first part of the trip just as Epcot would be the majority of the time in the last leg of the trip based on our location. It worked pretty well and with the trip in January coming up, I didn’t feel like I would be missing anything completely. With the exception of Mickey’s Philharmagic, we skipped a few things that we normally just don’t experience..ahem Stitch. They are on the list for January though as well as the Teacups. Well just for mom and I, DF does not like spinning lol! Wuss.

It was still pretty cloudy today, plus it was raining on and off.
Main Street by liverpoollover8, on Flickr
Main Street by liverpoollover8, on Flickr
Main Street U.S.A. by liverpoollover8, on Flickr

Off to adventure….
Main Street by liverpoollover8, on Flickr

Pirates of the Caribbean
I have been working on my indoor dark photography. It is a challenge to not use a flash, but some of my POC photos turned out pretty cool. We rode stand by so we could use our FP+ for other rides like the Mine Ride! The wait was only about 20 minutes.
Pirates of the Caribbean by liverpoollover8, on Flickr
Pirates of the Caribbean by liverpoollover8, on Flickr
Sunshine Terrace by liverpoollover8, on Flickr

We rode Haunted Mansion and wandered up through Fantasyland to get ready to use our FP+ for the Mine Ride. I was happy to get to ride it during the day lol! I really wanted to enjoy the scenery and snap a few photos along the way. Very enjoyable ride.

Seven Dwarfs Mine Ride by liverpoollover8, on Flickr
Seven Dwarfs Mine Ride by liverpoollover8, on Flickr

Tomorrowland was next to ride our favorites Buzz Lightyear and Wedway of course. We wandered back down to Main Street U.S.A. to do some shopping and eventually it was time to head to Tony’s for lunch. Wow was the lobby packed with folks!

 

[LowesChevy]

Tony’s Town Square

Tony’s Town Square is apparently a popular place. Surprisingly so since most of the reviews I read are negative! However you are limited to Tony’s, The Plaza or LTT for 1 credit meals. It took maybe 15 minutes to be seated-the longest we waited all vacation long.

We were seated in the main room near the fountain, which I managed to get a few nice shots off for my collection. Mark Anthony arrived after a few moments to introduce himself and get us a beverage. We had already eaten a number of flatbreads and pasta, so I was looking for something a little different to eat. The panini of the day sounded okay, I was hoping for a nice hot combination sub type of sandwich. DF and I went with the sandwich and DM ordered the chicken parmesan.

I also ordered the zucchini fries to start. They were pretty tasty and nicely fried, but I would have preferred some hot marinara to dip them in over this red pepper mayonnaise. The chicken and mushroom paninis were fine, nothing special, but pleasant tasting and toasted well. They came with a nice little house salad cup on the side. The marinara sauce on the parmesan is so bitter, I don’t understand why they don’t change the recipe! The chicken was good and the pasta fine, but who can eat that sauce?! Aye

Tony's Town Sq: Zucchini fries by liverpoollover8, on Flickr
Tony's Town Sq: Chicken parmesan by liverpoollover8, on Flickr
Tony's Town Sq: Panini of the day by liverpoollover8, on Flickr

***Ok for Tony’s Town Square. I think I would rather go to the Plaza twice if I had more than 2 days at the MK.

It was time to head back to BLT for some rest and a dip in the pool! Dinner is at Artist Point tonight

 

[LowesChevy]

Artist’s Point

The ferry to Wilderness Lodge was just leaving as we got to the dock. So we had to wait 25 minutes for them to circuit back around to the Contemporary. The ride is lovely and this evening was most pleasant because the clouds finally lifted. I forgot that the Wilderness Lodge theme pool was completely torn apart. It was crazy to see it all drained and boarded up. I finally remembered seeing all of the threads discussing the ongoing construction. Again a bummer like the Polynesian, but I hope most people did their homework and changed out resorts if possible.

Artist Point was a good star for many years and then it went through a growing pains stage with us. A couple of years of bad service really soured our love for AP, but last year it totally turned around for us. We received outstanding service from Izzy, so guess who we requested as a server this time.

Our table was near the entry of AP in one of his swing sections. Basically we were an extra table in his section, but we didn’t mind because we knew we were in great hands! It didn’t take him long to recognize us either and he was pleased to have us. He took our drink order and returned to give us a breakdown of the new menu items in detail. Now I really didn’t know what I wanted!
Artist Point by liverpoollover8, on Flickr

The entire menu is incredibly appealing. I feel like with most restaurants the choice comes down to 1-2 items, but here the salmon is amazing, buffalo is hard to come by on a menu, the fish choices are always a good option too. The venison carpaccio was calling my name, but I went with the crab cake. DF has his cheese and DM went with the heirloom tomato panzanella salad.
Izzy brought us over a complimentary amuse bouche of lobster bisque
Lobster bisque amuse bouche by liverpoollover8, on Flickr

Tomatoes were ripe and delicious and we are just about at the end of tasty tomato season where we live of course. My father enjoyed his cheese platter and the portions are generous. Sorry it was dark and I didn’t want to use my flash on these!
Artist Point: Heirloom tomato salad by liverpoollover8, on Flickr
Artist Point: cheese plate by liverpoollover8, on Flickr
Artist Point: crab cake by liverpoollover8, on Flickr

The crab cake had some cod mixed in with it and the whole dish was kind of busy, perhaps too busy. There was a mustard remoulade, which was pleasant tasting, but also plopped on top was a tangy coleslaw and a hickory smoked piece of bacon. I felt the garnish overpowered the taste of the cake and the bacon was too pungent a flavor to have with the delicacy of the crab. I think the crab cake, the remoulade and some field greens would have been just perfect.

Buffalo!! Buffalo!! Buffalo!! The other red meat trifecta: grilled strip steak, buffalo mac and cheese and buffalo sausage with braised cabbage slaw. The chef is loving slaw on this menu. The strip steak was perfectly cooked, but my favorite part of the dish was the sausage! Then again I am quite the sausage connoisseur. The mac and cheese was creamy and well seasoned as well.
Artist Point: Buffalo, buffalo, buffalo by liverpoollover8, on Flickr

DM filet was amazing and a stark difference from the meat she had the other
night at Citricos. The salmon was wonderful and DF actually ate the sweet potato hash that was served with it-he hates sweet potatoes! I really envisioned having cobbler, but we were so stuffed there was no room!
Izzy was great the whole night and had our plates cleared and glasses filled along with being entertained of course. Sad we won’t be dining here in January, but it is a must do in September! Wonderful evening at Artist Point

*****5 Stars Artist Point, outstanding

The boat was at the dock waiting for us and on the way over we got to watch Hallowishes from the lagoon. A perfect end to a perfect evening.

Tomorrow we will be checking out and heading over to AK before checking into the Beach Club in the afternoon. Hopefully this check in is much smoother!!!

 

[LowesChevy]

September 26th

Animal Kingdom

We packed up the bags and went over to breakfast at the Wave one last time this trip. It was another cloudy day starting out, but it was supposed to clear out later in the day. Bell services helped us pack up the car and it was time to head over to the Animal Kingdom. It was later than the time we usually arrive and we parked in the unicorn lot and caught the tram to the front gate.

The plan was to head right for Kilamanjaro Safaris to use our FP. The line was slow moving and it seemed like there were a shortage of jeeps running. The stand by line was really long and I could imagine maybe a no stand by test coming soon. As I mentioned before I think that is rotten considering a guest may have only 1 day at the park and if people are willing to wait in line why should they not be able to ride an attraction? If you do not want long lines Disney build more attractions and quit stuffing the parks all year round!
Animal Kingdom by liverpoollover8, on Flickr
Kilamanjaro Safari by liverpoollover8, on Flickr

We made it to the elephant section near the red clay when we were halted. Apparently some animals were getting into the vehicle path and backing up the jeeps. It was funny, but we were stuck for a while and then started to move and had to stop again. Lucky for us our next FP wasn’t for a while, but it may have started to get tight for other guests. Eventually we got rolling again
Kilamanjaro Safari by liverpoollover8, on Flickr
Kilamanjaro Safari by liverpoollover8, on Flickr
Kilamanjaro Safari by liverpoollover8, on Flickr
Chillin
Kilamanjaro Safari by liverpoollover8, on Flickr
Like a boss
Kilamanjaro Safari by liverpoollover8, on Flickr

The KS is always a great time. The attraction is long and there are so many things to see along the way. Definitely a must do for all ages. We meandered around and went to the shops before our FP for FOTLK was ready. I was disappointed to hear that they will be closing one of the stores soon to make way for something new. The Animal Kingdom merchandise is rather unique to the park unlike much of the other merchandise on property. You can still get your generic WDW stuff here, but they do offer items you cannot find anywhere else.

Ok so, brand new theatre with a small FP+ section is what I will say about the new FOTLK. The sun finally came out today and a long line of people was outside in the sun parched queue. The CMs kept asking guests to move up, but you know how well most of them listen. Finally we were moving in and we scored an end seat, but people came in at the last minute and we had to squish over. Then I was stuck behind a tall guy with a baseball cap on lol. The show was wonderful as usual though.

Festival of the Lion King
Festival of the Lion King by liverpoollover8, on Flickr
IMG_1377 by liverpoollover8, on Flickr
Festival of the Lion King by liverpoollover8, on Flickr
Festival of the Lion King by liverpoollover8, on Flickr

Afterwards we made our way to Expedition Everest and boy was the park crowded! It was midday and lots of tour groups and people were sitting around everywhere. The standby line was 25 minutes, that’s a pretty long wait. Your best bet is to get here first thing at opening and ride stand by. Hold your FP for other attractions since not everyone is interested in riding this thrill ride!

Expedition Everest by liverpoollover8, on Flickr
Expedition Everest by liverpoollover8, on Flickr

I would have liked to ride again, but the rain was on its way! We booked back to Discovery Island and made our way to the tram. I swear we always forget where the car is here! Plus lot of other red mini vans in the lot lol. We found the car and made our way to DTD.

Luckily we were able to snag a spot near the World of Disney when we arrived. They were waiving people all over the place and we pretty much decided we would not come back this trip because of the parking aye. Ponchos on and wallets ready! Earl of Sandwich was an absolute madhouse of course. We peered over to Wolfgang Puck Café and it didn’t look as crazy, so we made a run for it. I do not really understand why it takes some people so long to order, but at many places it gets excessive. Funny note-the couple in front of us had a suitcase with two cases of Budweiser in it lol! He must of walked over to the Hess Station to get them. Nice

 

[LowesChevy]

Wolfgang Puck Express

I really like WPE. The food is a cut above other counter service places and the portions are much larger too. It is a great value for those on the dining plan for sure. You can get pizza, rotisserie chicken, big plates of pasta and enormous sandwiches with fries or chips plus soups and salads. They serve the food on real plates and silverware as well.

After you order you are given a number plate for the table and you can get your soda drink from the fountain and find a table. There are bussers and servers that keep the tables clean and deliver the food. If the weather is cooperating grab a table outside on the patio.
The chicken salad sandwich was a favorite of the three of us and I could barely finish mine. If you have never been here it is a great alternative to EOS in a pinch. Don’t forget the other location on the West Side too!.

****4 Stars Good Stuff WPE

At lunch we discussed whether or not we should renew our APs or if we should wait. We decided to purchase a 1 day ticket for our last day Sunday since our AP expired Saturday. The CM explained our options, but in the end we want our AP renewal window to change. It expires late September and we really want to keep going in October so we are missing out on the discounted renewal, but looking towards the flexibility of our future trips. The sticker shock for a 1 day ticket though-woah!

Next stop was the Marketplace Co Op! It was completely different than I imagined it in my mind. I found the layout and design very pleasant and fun to shop. I bought some Adventureland plates for our Tiki Bar themed patio we are working on and a neat 10,000 Leagues Under The Sea Mug to ship home. I really wanted the Polynesian inspired plates, but I am waiting till January to scoop some of those up for my collection.
It was time to head over to the Beach Club for our final leg of the trip!

 

[vleeth]

Did you think it was worth using a FP+ on FOTLK? We your seats much better than they would have been in the regular line?

 

[LowesChevy]

No, I do not think you need to use a FP for FOTLK. The seats were pretty much luck of the draw. They fill each section nearly to it's entirety then begin seating the the next section.

We used FP because it is one of the few shows we really enjoy at AK, plus ITTBAB was closed and we had seen Nemo last year.

 

[LowesChevy]

Tutto Italia Dinner

I love the atmosphere and energy here. The staff is incredibly friendly and maitre de Benito has been working as long as I can remember even when it was Alfredo’s. The servers have hustling helpers, like Via, who bring the bread and meals and keep the beverage glasses full. The service always feels top notch when two people are focusing on the table.

Tutto is a reliable place for the picky eater. They offer a selection of pasta option as well as some meat centered dishes with creative side dishes. The giant antipasto is amazing, but I usually save room for some gelato and coffee at the end of the meal. A nice selection of salads and appetizers compliment any meal. For every table there is bread, oil and olives to start your meal.
IMG_1538 by liverpoollover8, on Flickr

Tutto Italia by liverpoollover8, on Flickr
And perhaps a lovely cocktail…
Tutto Italia: Cosmo and bellini by liverpoollover8, on Flickr
Tutto Italia by liverpoollover8, on Flickr

The dishes do not change drastically from year to year. I had the lasagna, which is a house specialty. It is a lasagna alla bolongnese to be exact and the layers of béchamel and pasta are partnered with a tomato sauce with finely ground beef. It is rich and hearty and a challenge for most appetites. DF ordered his favorite gnochetti with sausage ragu and the only thing that bothers me about this dish are the gnochetti-they look like little maggots! However they are good, just creepy looking. The dish that was previously fettuccini alla Romana has been transformed into ravioli with chicken and practically the same ingredients. DM wasn’t thrilled by the dish, but remember she is very picky about her food. I found the ravioli to be very good, but I think that she didn’t like the chicken being inside the ravioli so much. Otherwise a rich and delicious dish as well.
Tutto Italia: Lasagna Bolognese by liverpoollover8, on Flickr
Tutto Italia: Gnochetti with sausage by liverpoollover8, on Flickr
Tutto Italia: Cheese ravioli with chicken and pancetta by liverpoollover8, on Flickr

I was feeling pretty good after my bellini, so I had the chocolate gelato and DM had a cappuccino to cap off the evening. Rita was very cordial and visable the entire meal too. Overall another enjoyable experience at Tutto
Tutto Italia-Chocolate Gelato by liverpoollover8, on Flickr

****4 Stars Very nice Tutto Italia

We were rather stuffed and tired, so we wandered back home to the Beach Club to get ready for a day back at Hollywood Studios.

 

[LowesChevy]

Beach Club Review

Beach Club: deluxe room by liverpoollover8, on Flickr

We arrived and were eventually greeted by a concierge CM whom escorted us to the lounge. Our room was on the 1st floor, which was really annoying because the club lounge was on the 5th floor. Eventually everything was set and DF had to run back down to the car to self park, while DM and I headed to the room.
Beach Club: deluxe room by liverpoollover8, on Flickr
Beach Club by liverpoollover8, on Flickr
Beach Club: deluxe room by liverpoollover8, on Flickr

The room was the same layout as last year- deluxe spacious room, but the porch was smaller than the balcony since it is ground floor. However I am not sure I would ask for a ground floor room next time because we were right by a door way and people were back and forth all day. You needed to have the blinds closed for any privacy, but then it is dark. Often when we swim we like to hang the wet suits and towels out on the chairs to dry, but I wouldn’t take the chance on the ground floor.

Quiet pool was immediately in front of our room. The hot tub was down for a couple of days, but eventually on our last evening it was up and running. One afternoon we jumped into the laundry room to get out of the pouring rain! There are a few washers and dryers right by the pool if you need to wash a few items while you take a relaxing dip in the pool. We didn’t get a chance to experience SAB this year, it seemed like we were too tired or busy to swim!
Beach Club: Quiet Pool by liverpoollover8, on Flickr

The Club Level lounge was currently residing in one of the suites, but all should be back to normal by now. They were putting the finishing touches in on the front desk area on our last day. A special shout to Andrew in FP+ concierge desk for helping us get some passes for our last day. We bought the single day tickets and they were linked to our account, but for some reason they were not allowing me to make FP reservations. So I went up to the lounge for some help and he was able to override the system and get us passes for Test Track all within 15 minutes of one another. He said he had no idea why it wasn’t allowing me to make arraignments, but he was able to make it work. Concierge was also helpful in helping print out our boarding passes too!

We spread out and took root in the room. Even though it was three days I like to unpack and feel like I am staying a while. There are plenty of drawers in this room with a tall narrow dresser and the dresser under the television. In the deluxe room a couch and a coffee table are near the refrigerator hutch. The closet is still rather small, but enough room to store a couple of suitcases and your nicer clothes, not to mention the safe to store your valuables.

My other complaint was the fact that our room was on the end of the hallway and apparently the room doesn’t get serviced till the end of the day. Well we come back to the room by mid afternoon, so on both days the room was never serviced. We called for towels and that and it’s not like we have crap everywhere, but it is just annoying to not have the room cleaned at a decent time. Usually we call down and tell them we were leaving, but DM didn’t bother and look what we got. I mean out the door at 7:30-8 AM and the room isn’t touched by 3:00 PM that’s ridiculous! Management is expecting way too much out of the staff if they schedule them to clean 16 rooms, which is what I overheard them saying. Yikes!

Overall, the stay was pleasant, but the room servicing was lackluster. Next year, if we stay, I will request a room near the lounge or elevator and be sure to call every morning. You can’t beat the location of the Beach Club especially if you are an Epcot lover!

 

[LowesChevy]

September 27th Hollywood Studios

We had our breakfast at the Captain’s Grill, which is conveniently located right out from the Friendship boat dock. This morning was about the first sunny morning we’ve had all trip. There were at least 100 people waiting for the boat to DHS and one of the captains called over to get another boat in service. A heads up move because we would have been waiting for at least another 25 minutes probably. Funny thing is they kept the boat in service all day because they needed it! The parks really busied up this weekend.
We had some time to spend before The Voyage of the Little Mermaid, so we did two things we have never experienced before: One Man’s Dream and The Pirates of The Caribbean Legend of Jack Sparrow walk through.
IMG_0658 by liverpoollover8, on Flickr

The walk through was different that I expected- I thought there would be like props and memorabilia, but it was more like an interactive show. Had there been another room before the final sequence I think it would be a fine use of time, but it was a little short to be a great time killer. I couldn’t imagine doing it every visit luckily it changes every few years. It was nice and cool inside though!

One Man’s Dream was very awesome. I enjoyed reading the expanded history of Walt, Mickey and Disneyland & World. I particularly enjoyed the scale models of the lands and attractions since I have always been fascinated by miniatures. By the time we got through everything we didn’t have time for the movie, but we will definitely check it out next trip!
Walt Disney: One Man's Dream by liverpoollover8, on Flickr
Walt Disney: One Man's Dream by liverpoollover8, on Flickr

We still had a few minutes before we could get in the queue for the Little Mermaid, so we used the potty and hit the small store near the Animation building. The last time (last Oct.) we attempted to see the show the performance was cancelled after we had scanned our bands and they weren’t passing out FP or letting us return for the next show. I thought that was total crap and of course-you can make another FP selection on the computers provided, but of course nothing else was available for that day. I know it was in the testing phases at that point, but what a crock.
The show was okay, Ariel was off key in some spots though. The show is cute, but after seeing Nemo This attraction could really use a revamp considering those 80s dj lasers aren’t exactly cutting edge anymore. Still waiting to hear which direction DHS is going, but we are yet to hear any definite details!

Afterwards we rode Star Tours one last time!
Star Tours by liverpoollover8, on Flickr
Star Tours by liverpoollover8, on Flickr
Star Tours by liverpoollover8, on Flickr

 

[LowesChevy]

Brown Derby

Lunch was at the Brown Derby and rain was quickly approaching. We decided to check in early and relax in the comfy leather couches in the lobby. It wasn’t long after we were waiting when it started pouring! People were running to escape the rain and diving into the lobby and awning. It was your typical quick downpour and soon the sun came back out to say hello.
Our buzzer rang and we were off to be seated.

This was our first time at the Brown Derby. I always thought the menu was a little to specialty for DM, but I did notice a few items lately that she would enjoy, plus they have been offering seasonal specials. I was amazed with how big and beautiful the restaurant was inside since it doesn’t look large from the exterior.
Brown Derby by liverpoollover8, on Flickr
Brown Derby by liverpoollover8, on Flickr
Brown Derby by liverpoollover8, on Flickr
Brown Derby by liverpoollover8, on Flickr
Brown Derby by liverpoollover8, on Flickr

Brown Derby-bread and butter by liverpoollover8, on Flickr

We were seated about the time our adr was scheduled and I noticed most restaurants have been prompt with seating times. Luann arrived right after we were seated to introduce herself and get us a beverage. She is originally from Punxsutawney, which is only a few hours from where we live. You don’t meet a lot of folks from there that’s for sure! She went over the menu thoroughly after bringing our beverages. We took a few minutes to make our final decisions.

The menu has some appealing gems and I couldn’t resist an appetizer and went with the crab spring roll. The duck sounded great, but I figured I would have that at Chefs the next evening. I thought I would give the andouille crusted chicken sandwich a try instead of a full entrée.
The crab spring roll was large-a generous portion and a bonus claw to nibble on too. Beautiful presentation and a great dish to start off the meal.
Brown Derby-crab spring roll by liverpoollover8, on Flickr

DM went with the fettuccini Alfredo, which came with crispy pancetta and a garlic crostini. She enjoyed the pasta and wasn’t anywhere near close to finishing it- good size portion. DF had the waygu burger another special that was offered. It was a monster as well and he ended up eating it with a fork and knife! The burger and the chicken sandwich were both very good and filling, but not filling enough to stop us from having a dessert sampler of course!
Brown Derby-Andouille crusted chicken sandwich by liverpoollover8, on Flickr
Brown Derby-Fettuccine Alfredo by liverpoollover8, on Flickr

Banana crunch with strawberry balls, grapefruit cake and almond panna cotta! Yum the panna cotta was our favorite. I really like the mini dessert format that has been trendy because everyone can have a little bite of something and you don’t feel like if your dessert was a bad choice you were stuck with one crappy dessert.
Brown Derby: Dessert delights-grapefruit cake, amaretto creme brulee and banana crunch cake by liverpoollover8, on Flickr

Why we have not been here before? I must be crazy! The service from Luann was amazing and the food was wonderful. This is on our must do list from now on baby.

*****5 Stars Bravo Brown Derby