My original plan was to pickup some Ronto Wraps and grab a spot on the ground for the Star Wars fireworks. But reviewing this last night, I realized that DH (not a huge sausage fan) would not be too crazy about this dinner. So I grabbed a last min 6pm ADR for the Hollywood Brown Derby - a signature sure is a huge jump up from sitting on the ground LOL!!
On the way into the park, we took one of my favourite photos so far:
The photographer had a sneaky technique - he told us to kiss...
But never told us to stop. Then started clicking away when we broke up laughing. Genius!
I also snuck in a solo photo when DH went wandering off on an unsuccessful hunt for an appealing (chocolate) snack.
We then chilled out in the park, watching the Voyage of the Little Mermaid, a short "making of" Star Wars movie at Launch Bay Theatre (keep having to skip this one so glad we fit it in!), and a spin on Toy Story Mania.
When we checked in, we ended up with a short 5-10 min wait as we requested a cozy booth. It was well worth it for this romantic corner:
First up was some bread servuce. After the first bite, I commented to DH that it seemed pitiful for a signature restaurant to offer generic dinner rolls. But after a couple of bites, it got better and better and better. After a bit, we were attacking the bread haha! It was addictive. Perfectly baked with a nice crunch on the exterior and a fluffy interior - almost like a baguette.
We had a rather light (and frugal!) dinner. DH ordered a butternut squash soup ($12) that ended up being rich, flavorful and creamy. Not as good as mine lol but very enjoyable. Then we had a kid's portion of Vegetarian Pho ($10) which came with 2 sides. DH was craving apple slices (odd!) and I decided I wanted mashed potatoes. And of course - the whole reason I was there - the famous Cobb Salad ($11). It ended up being really good! I will try chopping my lettuce that fine next time I make cobb salad at home
Next time I get I will ask them to have a light hand on the dressing - it was a touch too much for me. Great inexpensive meal and the appetizer portion was sufficiently filling for a light meal. DH enjoyed the pho although he prefers the authentic broth he gets at home. This one was more of a fusion style pho and I appreciated the more complex broth. Not a huge portion, but sufficient and the kids meal for $10 with 2 sides is a huge value considering the adult portion is $29.
I had mentioned to our server that I really wanted to try the grapefruit cake and she went to the extra effort of delaying getting us our dessert menu....so she could present us with a complimentary half-slice of the Grapefruit Cake! What a delightful surprise
Unfortunately we were so excited we dug in immediately. So you get a lovely picture of a half eaten slice!
We had been debating getting DH a less expensive dessert elsewhere - but after that kind gesture, we had to stay there for dessert! After a lengthy perusal of the menu (and checking Google for photos), DH chose the Dark Chocolate Mousse ($12). Our sweet server presented it with two complimentary flutes of bubbly champagne! Really made our night! Considering we ordered very inexpensive dishes, I was touched she still went all out for us.
The Chocolate Mousse was lovely rich, creamy dark chocolate. I am not a big mousse fan but wow, this was GOOD! The same size as last night's Chocolate Pudding at Sebastian's and $2 more, but while we felt last night was a rip off, this was well worth it.
We strolled out all smiles after a wonderful dinner. Final bill was $43.14 after AP discount and we added a $15 tip (total $52.33 after 10% gift card discount). We were delighted to find a fairly empty Hollywood Studios with loads of prime spots still available for the Star Wars fireworks. We enjoyed both the Wonderful World of Animation (so cool they put Frozen 2 in there as well!) and the fireworks (which is more of a projection show - so good spots are a must). It was DH'S first time to watch both and he loved them.
For some weird reason, DH was still stuck on my prior suggestions of alternate desserts for him and asked to get some ice cream. Gertie's was closed (we checked!) so I suggested we drive to the Boardwalk to try Ample Hills Creamery.
I was a bit worried about being allowed to park there but the guard waved us through when we said we were there to get dessert.
It was our first time on the Boardwalk in the evening (never managed to fit it in before!) and we loved the romantic atmosphere. We stopped at the photobooth for a fun photostrip free with our Memory Maker
Then it was off to Ample Hills to taste practically every flavor they had!
Since a double scoop cone was $6.99, I told DH he might as well upgrade to the 3 scoop brownie sundae for $9.99. He didn't take much convincing! We ended up with ooey gooey butter cake, dark chocolate, and milk and chocolate (forget the name of this flavor). No AP discount so bill was $10.54 ($9.49 after 10% gift card discount).
I had to laugh - I told the server to put the whipped cream on "my" scoop and she did JUST that!
Sat out by the water to enjoy the decadence of a second dessert.
Day 4 running total: $244.36
(Note: I have decided to subtract the amounts we spent on our hosts from our running total as that will be a separate expense. All prior running totals have been updated).