bumbershoot
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Mar 5, 2007
February 6th!
This day was the day of our second bit of tremendous luck. Not luck that happened to us in the parks, but had happened months before. It turns out that I have a friend from afar, a friend with connections, and this friend allowed us the ability to make a dining reservation. From that description, I'm sure y'all know where...Club 33.
This trip was for Robert's birthday, as I might have mentioned, and he needed something wonderful. Since his b'day is during spring break it's not like we're *really* planning on going to Disney for it at any point; he missed out on the "free on your birthday" promo while E and I both got trips that year. And the birthday stuff goes back to his childhood as well. So I figured why not?
And this was The Day.
We breakfasted at the lounge; I'm sure I didn't have much but fruit and cappucino, knowing that going to this particular restaurant as vegetarians was never going to be financially "worth it" food-wise, but I wanted to at least make a good meal.
We knew very well it was going to be for the Experience right along with the food. I'd been coaching Eamon from the moment the reservation was made that he Was To Be GOOD. And if there was any time that something unusual might be tasty, it would be there, so he might as well try it.
Since it was a lunch reservation, we decided not to rush into the parks. We wanted to dress nicely, but not have to change clothes in the parks. That did NOT keep me from layering, though. I had my weird little combo of black dress, black long "shrug" (you know, the wonderful fashion of "is it a coat, is it a shawl, what is that thing you're wearing that covers your bum and drapes so nicely"?), and black yoga pants, along with running shoes. I had heels in my bag, so I could make a quick change into heels with dress.
I think that morning we managed to convince E to ride Haunted Mansion; it seemed a pretty calm thing to ride, ya know?
But most of the time was spent sort of lurking near the entrance, so we weren't late in any way, shape, or form.
Here is E. He is not angry; he is posing. I call this his version of "Blue Steel".
Pictures from lurking.
A couple days later, while waiting for yet another time through Animation Academy, a couple asked us how lunch was. Turns out they saw us lurking, LOL, and thought that E was someone famous, b/c he was having his picture taken in that spot.
So does that mean I look like a photographer?
Honestly I was so nervous going in there it felt like a blur! We actually managed to squeeze into the little elevator they have in there; Eamon couldn't really breathe, but we made it.
For lunch, there's a cold buffet, and you also order an entree. Then there's a dessert buffet. It's a fixed price (except for beverages); you know what you're paying before you step in the door.
OH wait. You know what you're paying unless you're a husband who hears "it's the cost of a one day one park ticket per person" and thinks that tickets are $50.
Poor Robert. And he saw the bill first. Thankfully, we'd had the experience of people (who had offered to pay for a meal) showing their shock at the total on their faces, and he really hated that moment, so I actually had NO clue that he was shocked until just a couple weeks ago.
Anyway, it's all lush and fancy-schmancy. I mean, I'd never decorate a house in that style, but it's still neat to be in. Although there were some very casually dressed people in there, we were glad we'd dressed up (though I wish I could have gotten E to wear a white undershirt instead of his orange Hogwarts shirt under his sweater, but he was going with "What Would A Jonas Wear" and needed that bit of individuality that day). Just made us feel like we fit in better, even though I'm sure we looked like the first-timers we were.
Eamon ordered...yeah, the kids pasta with cheese sauce. Mickey pasta, but still.
They also offer fries if you would like. He did, but ended up not eating them. Too full from the pasta.
Robert and I ordered "pasta 3 ways" or something like that, substituting their famed "truffled mac&cheese" for the meat-containing option.
I had a mai tai (omg omg omg), and my two fellows had cranberry spritzers (E's was in the souvenir cup with lightup thingie).
I remember making a solid try at enjoying the buffet. I don't remember being unhappy about anything BUT the asparagus. Funnily, the asparagus is said to be amazing, and it was behind the "if you're going to try something, might as well try it here" coaching I'd done with Eamon. He took a bite and was unhappy, and I tried some of mine and felt the same way. (he is always glad when I validate his feelings like that...it's hard to be a kid sometimes)
Eamon behaved wonderfully.
The mai tai was AMAZING. I think it was real; not a mix with HFCS and icky chemicals. I'd planned to try a Midori Sour while there, as I'd heard good things about that drink too, but while eating at the buffet and my entree and the mai tai....I simply literally could not do it.
So the pastas in that picture... The entire plate was huge. I just about died when I saw the portions. The puffy ravioli was simply fabulous. The pesto was beyond delicious. And you have to understand; my mom used to make pesto using her own basil and just the purest ingredients and it was so good that even if she left the cheese out it was still better than anyone else's pesto EVER, so I'm saying this pesto was THAT GOOD.
We didn't realize until later that Robert and I should have swapped pesto and truffled between the two of us. My tastes just don't go with the truffled taste, and he felt that it and the ravioli were so good he barely even touched his pesto! But even if we had realized it, it wouldn't have helped; we don't like eating until we're groaning (you'd never realize it to look at us, but oh well) especially when we've paid serious money for the meal (b/c we don't want to be unhappy after such a meal), so it's not like we would have finished it anyway.
That cheese bread thing was SO good.
And then, after all that....there was a dessert buffet???????
Thankfully it's a relaxed sort of place, and there were plenty of people around us who had settled in for a long meal, so we could take our time. We chatted, watched Eamon eat, had sips of our drinks.... And finally we felt we could try out some treats.
Two words. Chocolate macaroons. That is all. Nothing more need be said. Ever.
Yeah right, like that's the last thing I'm going to say. They are macaroons in the shape of a Mickey head, with the ears dipped in chocolate. Whimper. I'm not sure they would be worth the entire cost...but they are close. And with me, macaroons are difficult. They've got that egg in there, and sometimes my relationship with eggs isn't the best; even the hint of weird funk destroys my entire meal, when it comes to eggs. I did not have this problem with their macaroons.
Eamon had his sites set on chocolate cake. And so he had it. It had raspberry somewhere in it. Apart from one bite for each parent (he offers those up, as he can be more polite than I could ever have imagined from his toddler days) he tackled the entire thing. He was VERY happy with his dessert.
Oh I think I had a sort of creme puff as well; if you've seen food reports from there, they are the ones with the golden stamp of the restaurant name on them. It was good, but the macaroons were my fave.
Oh hey, I took a picture.
Um, maybe I went a little crazy with the macroons. I'm so ashamed. (and, in retrospect, this shows the world where my weight downfall is....dessert...I LOVE dessert...)
Honestly I can't remember what Robert had, and since he's far away and out to breakfast right now, he doesn't get to chime in.
At some point in here, we asked if we could take a look outside. We had a window table, so it was relatively simple.
Our view.
Eamon liked being outside more than Robert or I did. For me, at least, it just felt funny. Probably my "I don't belong anywhere" nonsense showing up. Silly me.
We were finally finished with our meal.
We visited the bathrooms (the ladies has a WEIRD toilet that's actually not so easy to, ya know, make us of), we bought a souvenir or two (Eamon got a holiday pin, and I got ears "for the house", which are now sitting in our china cabinet so we can see them but I don't have to dust them), I took a couple more pictures.
And at last we left. WOW. So thankful to my friend from afar, that's for sure!
This day was the day of our second bit of tremendous luck. Not luck that happened to us in the parks, but had happened months before. It turns out that I have a friend from afar, a friend with connections, and this friend allowed us the ability to make a dining reservation. From that description, I'm sure y'all know where...Club 33.
This trip was for Robert's birthday, as I might have mentioned, and he needed something wonderful. Since his b'day is during spring break it's not like we're *really* planning on going to Disney for it at any point; he missed out on the "free on your birthday" promo while E and I both got trips that year. And the birthday stuff goes back to his childhood as well. So I figured why not?
And this was The Day.
We breakfasted at the lounge; I'm sure I didn't have much but fruit and cappucino, knowing that going to this particular restaurant as vegetarians was never going to be financially "worth it" food-wise, but I wanted to at least make a good meal.
We knew very well it was going to be for the Experience right along with the food. I'd been coaching Eamon from the moment the reservation was made that he Was To Be GOOD. And if there was any time that something unusual might be tasty, it would be there, so he might as well try it. Since it was a lunch reservation, we decided not to rush into the parks. We wanted to dress nicely, but not have to change clothes in the parks. That did NOT keep me from layering, though. I had my weird little combo of black dress, black long "shrug" (you know, the wonderful fashion of "is it a coat, is it a shawl, what is that thing you're wearing that covers your bum and drapes so nicely"?), and black yoga pants, along with running shoes. I had heels in my bag, so I could make a quick change into heels with dress.
I think that morning we managed to convince E to ride Haunted Mansion; it seemed a pretty calm thing to ride, ya know?
But most of the time was spent sort of lurking near the entrance, so we weren't late in any way, shape, or form.
Here is E. He is not angry; he is posing. I call this his version of "Blue Steel".
Pictures from lurking.
A couple days later, while waiting for yet another time through Animation Academy, a couple asked us how lunch was. Turns out they saw us lurking, LOL, and thought that E was someone famous, b/c he was having his picture taken in that spot.
So does that mean I look like a photographer?
Honestly I was so nervous going in there it felt like a blur! We actually managed to squeeze into the little elevator they have in there; Eamon couldn't really breathe, but we made it.
For lunch, there's a cold buffet, and you also order an entree. Then there's a dessert buffet. It's a fixed price (except for beverages); you know what you're paying before you step in the door.
OH wait. You know what you're paying unless you're a husband who hears "it's the cost of a one day one park ticket per person" and thinks that tickets are $50.
Poor Robert. And he saw the bill first. Thankfully, we'd had the experience of people (who had offered to pay for a meal) showing their shock at the total on their faces, and he really hated that moment, so I actually had NO clue that he was shocked until just a couple weeks ago. Anyway, it's all lush and fancy-schmancy. I mean, I'd never decorate a house in that style, but it's still neat to be in. Although there were some very casually dressed people in there, we were glad we'd dressed up (though I wish I could have gotten E to wear a white undershirt instead of his orange Hogwarts shirt under his sweater, but he was going with "What Would A Jonas Wear" and needed that bit of individuality that day). Just made us feel like we fit in better, even though I'm sure we looked like the first-timers we were.
Eamon ordered...yeah, the kids pasta with cheese sauce. Mickey pasta, but still.
They also offer fries if you would like. He did, but ended up not eating them. Too full from the pasta.
Robert and I ordered "pasta 3 ways" or something like that, substituting their famed "truffled mac&cheese" for the meat-containing option.
I had a mai tai (omg omg omg), and my two fellows had cranberry spritzers (E's was in the souvenir cup with lightup thingie).
I remember making a solid try at enjoying the buffet. I don't remember being unhappy about anything BUT the asparagus. Funnily, the asparagus is said to be amazing, and it was behind the "if you're going to try something, might as well try it here" coaching I'd done with Eamon. He took a bite and was unhappy, and I tried some of mine and felt the same way. (he is always glad when I validate his feelings like that...it's hard to be a kid sometimes)
Eamon behaved wonderfully.
The mai tai was AMAZING. I think it was real; not a mix with HFCS and icky chemicals. I'd planned to try a Midori Sour while there, as I'd heard good things about that drink too, but while eating at the buffet and my entree and the mai tai....I simply literally could not do it.
So the pastas in that picture... The entire plate was huge. I just about died when I saw the portions. The puffy ravioli was simply fabulous. The pesto was beyond delicious. And you have to understand; my mom used to make pesto using her own basil and just the purest ingredients and it was so good that even if she left the cheese out it was still better than anyone else's pesto EVER, so I'm saying this pesto was THAT GOOD.
We didn't realize until later that Robert and I should have swapped pesto and truffled between the two of us. My tastes just don't go with the truffled taste, and he felt that it and the ravioli were so good he barely even touched his pesto! But even if we had realized it, it wouldn't have helped; we don't like eating until we're groaning (you'd never realize it to look at us, but oh well) especially when we've paid serious money for the meal (b/c we don't want to be unhappy after such a meal), so it's not like we would have finished it anyway.
That cheese bread thing was SO good.
And then, after all that....there was a dessert buffet???????
Thankfully it's a relaxed sort of place, and there were plenty of people around us who had settled in for a long meal, so we could take our time. We chatted, watched Eamon eat, had sips of our drinks.... And finally we felt we could try out some treats.
Two words. Chocolate macaroons. That is all. Nothing more need be said. Ever.
Yeah right, like that's the last thing I'm going to say. They are macaroons in the shape of a Mickey head, with the ears dipped in chocolate. Whimper. I'm not sure they would be worth the entire cost...but they are close. And with me, macaroons are difficult. They've got that egg in there, and sometimes my relationship with eggs isn't the best; even the hint of weird funk destroys my entire meal, when it comes to eggs. I did not have this problem with their macaroons.
Eamon had his sites set on chocolate cake. And so he had it. It had raspberry somewhere in it. Apart from one bite for each parent (he offers those up, as he can be more polite than I could ever have imagined from his toddler days) he tackled the entire thing. He was VERY happy with his dessert.
Oh I think I had a sort of creme puff as well; if you've seen food reports from there, they are the ones with the golden stamp of the restaurant name on them. It was good, but the macaroons were my fave.
Oh hey, I took a picture.
Um, maybe I went a little crazy with the macroons. I'm so ashamed. (and, in retrospect, this shows the world where my weight downfall is....dessert...I LOVE dessert...)
Honestly I can't remember what Robert had, and since he's far away and out to breakfast right now, he doesn't get to chime in.
At some point in here, we asked if we could take a look outside. We had a window table, so it was relatively simple.
Our view.
Eamon liked being outside more than Robert or I did. For me, at least, it just felt funny. Probably my "I don't belong anywhere" nonsense showing up. Silly me.
We were finally finished with our meal.
We visited the bathrooms (the ladies has a WEIRD toilet that's actually not so easy to, ya know, make us of), we bought a souvenir or two (Eamon got a holiday pin, and I got ears "for the house", which are now sitting in our china cabinet so we can see them but I don't have to dust them), I took a couple more pictures.
And at last we left. WOW. So thankful to my friend from afar, that's for sure!
These are non-ride vehicles, by the way. Other questions are best answered in the daytime, because you have to (for instance) look for the flags above the attractions. 
