People are predictable - September 2022 - Victoria & Albert's 11/16 Cosmic Ray/Tokyo Dining - Complete

[Dis_Yoda]

EPCOT Food & Wine Festival Booths

I woke up before 4AM and I got settled at the table to work remotely for a few hours. Once I did what I needed to for work, we headed to EPCOT a little after 10AM after dropping our luggage off at Bell Services as we waited for our studio to be ready. I had gotten us a boarding group for Guardians of the Galaxy that was due around 10:50AM so we took a leisurely stroll on our way there. First stop was to Shimmering Sips to cheer for vacation! I went with the POG juice one while my husband did the Blood Orange. We both were happy.

Tropical Mimosa & Blood Orange Mimosa

We stopped by to get our free sips of international coke products as we had a couple more minutes to kill and then we got our stomachs turned around on Guardians of the Galaxy while Qi’ra was getting ready to show in Mobile and I got photos from a friend of mine. She only got a default select this day which is meh. At least she had a good time!

We were hungry and decided to head to Brew-Wings. We loved this option! The wings were tasty and very filling. Of the beers, my husband’s favorite was the Watermelon Wheat Ale from 3 Daughters Brewing while I was a fan of the Strawberry Lemonade Hard Cider. All were refreshing for the hot afternoon!

Sticky Wings, Garlic-Parmesan Wings, Beer Flight & Cider Flight

We continued to stroll around the World Showcase, making a stop in Germany for a very refreshing beer.

Schofferhofer Pineapple Hefeweizen

From there, it was off to Belgium where my husband got his favorites that were gone by the time I went to the ladies room so I couldn’t steal a taste.

Belgian Waffle w/ Warm Chocolate Ganache & St Bernardus Witbier

That’s ok but that meant I had room to enjoy some French Ice Cream as the humidity and heat just made the day call for it. We ate as we walked back to the Boardwalk where it wasn’t too long before our home for the next 10 nights was ready! We got our luggage sent up and I unpacked so we could finally unwind and take a nap before meeting my mother & her new husband for dinner at 5.

Mint Chocolate Chip Cone

Mint Chocolate Chip & Caramel Cone{/i]

Boardwalk Studio​

 

[PcolaGolfer]

I had mimosas this morning with fresh blackberries, but yours look so much better!

 

[Dis_Yoda]

I had mimosas this morning with fresh blackberries, but yours look so much better!

They were so refreshing! Perfect way to start off the trip!

 

[Dis_Yoda]

Flying Fish

A little before 5PM, we met my mother & her husband in the lobby of the Boardwalk. They were at the end of their trip and were heading back to St Augustine the next morning. We headed downstairs and checked in at Flying Fish where we were quickly seated. My husband ordered a bottle of Laurent Perrier Rose for the table that we all enjoyed over the course of the evening.

Our server had a great personality and was the right amount of playful with her joking for our table’s mood.

Potato & Chive Bread

To start, I got the seasonal salad. It was very refreshing with the mix of the dressing and toppings.

Mesclun Greens Salad - Chevre, Marcona Almonds, Watermelon Radish & Blueberry Vinaigrette

My mother, her husband and my husband all got the oak-grilled romaine. They felt theirs was a bit lacking especially when they saw mine and my mother asked for extra dressing as it needed more in her mind.

Oak-Grilled Romaine - Cherry Tomatoes & White Balsamic Dressing

We also got the cheese plate for the four of us to split. My favorite was the Thomasville Tomme and the peanut brittle. It had these savory seasonings on top that really balanced that sweetness.

Tasting of Artisan Cheeses - Brillat-Savarin, VSOP Gouda, Thomasville Tomme, Truffle Tremor & Smokey Blue

For my main meal, I got the Pork Belly appetizer - originally because my husband and I were supposed to be going to the Typhoon Lagoon DVC Membership Magic Event and I wanted room for free ice cream. Well, the rain storm was huge and we ended up not going but hey, more room for dessert! The pork belly was the right amount of crispy but melty fatty. The spiced apple salad was refreshing and the croquette was filled with cheese which can never go wrong in my book.

Slow-roasted Pork Belly - Spiced Apple, Cherry Gastrique

My husband had the New York strip after the way the server talked about it made it sound really good. My mother also split one of these with her husband. It was well seasoned and cooked to his liking. The real star was the Mille-Feuille Potato Gratin that I definitely stole half of.

Char-crusted New York Strip - Mille-Feuille Potato Gratin, Cauliflower Colors & Bearnaise Sauce

My husband and I decided to split dessert after making the call of not heading to Typhoon Lagoon. The warm chocolate sauce is poured on top to open the shell and expose the cake and mousse inside. We had zero problems cleaning off this plate.

Cocoa Breach - Vanilla Custard, Chocolate Bavarois, Feuillantine Crunch

Overall, Flying Fish was a winner. It remains one of my favorites and I'm so glad it has reopened after being closed for almost 2 years.

After dinner, we headed upstairs to the Belle Vue lounge for a round of cocktails. My husband had a bourbon while I had a Moscow Mule while we hung out with my mother for a bit longer before calling it a night around 8:30pm.​

 

[ThreeBoyMama]

Looks like a great dinner at Flying Fish!

 

[2xcited2sleep]

I love Flying Fish so much. Happy to hear you enjoyed as well. I really don't know why it's not more popular. I guess some people are scared by "fish." Belle Vue is great too. I'm a bit anxious about the upcoming renovation and hope that it survives with its charm.

 

[Dis_Yoda]

Looks like a great dinner at Flying Fish!

It was! It is always a consistent hit for us.

I love Flying Fish so much. Happy to hear you enjoyed as well. I really don't know why it's not more popular. I guess some people are scared by "fish." Belle Vue is great too. I'm a bit anxious about the upcoming renovation and hope that it survives with its charm.

I'm glad Flying Fish isn't crazy popular as I know its always an option to try to get into when the feeling hits or being able to get into the bar there. They do have such nice non-fish options to enjoy as well!

I hope the renovation of Belle Vue goes well. Guess we'll find out once it occurs. I like quiet quant bars like how Mizner's used to be.

 

[Dis_Yoda]

Hooters

We headed this morning to Hollywood Studios where we focused on the left side of the park. We were able to accomplish Rise of the Resistance with only a 30 minute wait then walked onto Smuggler’s Run & Star Tours before another 30 minute wait for Runaway Railway.

After our morning at Hollywood Studios, we had to head to Target to pick up a prescription from CVS asI forgot to plan better with the Labor Day holiday and the fact it has to be special ordered. Oh well, at least I use a national pharmacy. We were hungry and looked to see what was near and decided on Hooters as it is one of our guilty pleasures. Back when we lived in Naples, whenever we didn’t want to cook and thus were going to order off Bite Squad but were being super indecisive, Hooters was always the option that caused the least amount of fights as we could always have something that would fit our moods whether seafood, chicken, burgers or salads. Well, in Louisiana, the nearest Hooters is 40 minutes away and I’m not driving that far for that food as while it's enjoyable, it doesn’t warrant that when we have other easy options nearby.
We started with splitting some cheese sticks as warm gooey cheese is always a good choice and they were.

Mozzarella Cheese Sticks

I went with one of their current specials of 6 buffalo shrimp, 6 boneless wings and some fries. I love their Hot Sauce so this was perfect for me.

Surf & Turf Basket - Hot

My husband just went with the bbq boneless as he planned on stealing my fries.

Boneless Wings - BBQ

It hit the spot for our craving and we drove back to the Boardwalk for our afternoon naps that we love on vacations.​

 

[Dis_Yoda]

The Boathouse

Once back in the room, we got notice that our Qi’ra went Best of Breed at the Gulf Show Classic dog show which was exciting!

Pretty Girl

After relaxing, we drove over to Disney Springs and looked around the stores. We ended up not buying anything but at least it killed some time before it was time to check in at the Boathouse. We were seated for the first time in the Regatta Room towards the very back. It was nice and quiet back there in comparison to the rooms in the front. We were quickly served some water and their parker house rolls which are also tasty.

The Best Disney Bread

We decided on drinks while we debated on dinner. We weren’t in the mood for wine so we decided it was a night for cocktails! I had the sweet but silly Duck Duck Razz as who doesn’t love a blue drink with a rubber ducky in it? My husband had a margarita that he also enjoyed.

Duck Duck Razz

Margarita

To start, I went with the tuna tartare. The sauce had a nice flavor to it and the serving size made me happy.

Tuna Tartare

My husband was basic and got his caesar. It’s a consistent favorite here!

Caesar Salad

For my meal, I wanted something hearty but not too huge so I ordered a side of Mac & Cheese. Well, it was huge and half of it definitely came back to the room with us and became my breakfast the next morning.

Mac & Cheese

My husband went with chicken as he knew he would be having more steak on this trip. As he cleaned his plate, I’m going to say he was a fan.

Roasted Chicken Breast

We skipped dessert as we were both full and headed back to the Boardwalk. We enjoyed being in the Regatta Room this time as it made it a much more relaxing meal.​

 

[Dis_Yoda]

Sanaa

We headed this morning to Animal Kingdom where we were able to get a lot done thanks to the low crowds. I love this time after Labor Day, especially with the tropics behaving! The lionesses were active this morning which made for a great safari ride.

We were done with the park by 11AM and headed over to Animal Kingdom Lodge - Kidani Village for our lunch and we were seated at our usual table in the front alcove. The last four times we’ve eaten here, we've sat at this exact table. My husband opted for a soda while I had a refreshing margarita.

Watermelon Margarita

We always have our gotos here. We always get the bread service with only a mixture of Naan and then split one of the Potjie Inspired entrees. The bread service is great. My husband takes over the Red Pepper Hummus while I take over the coriander and tamarind chutneys and we split the red chili sambal. We take a bite of the other dips but they just aren’t the same draw as those 4 for us.

Bread Service

The entree we split is the lentil dahl, a favorite from my husband’s short stint as a vegetarian and the butter chicken since they got rid of my Durban shrimp.

Butter Chicken & Lentil Dahl

We left properly filled but not too full as we knew we would want to indulge in our plans for the night!​

 

[2xcited2sleep]

Yum! Boathouse and Sanaa are in my top tier of restaurants. That tuna poke at Boathouse is perfection. And at Sanaa they could just give me a pile of naan and a vat of the coriander chutney and I'd be one happy lady. I've seen a recipe online but haven't yet attempted it at home.

 

[Dis_Yoda]

Yum! Boathouse and Sanaa are in my top tier of restaurants. That tuna poke at Boathouse is perfection. And at Sanaa they could just give me a pile of naan and a vat of the coriander chutney and I'd be one happy lady. I've seen a recipe online but haven't yet attempted it at home.

Oh I may need to try that recipe as well or try to find the tamarind one. You are giving me good ideas for junior league!

 

[Dis_Yoda]

Tomorrowland Terrace Fireworks Pre-Party

We headed to Magic Kingdom and got a few rides done before heading over to Tomorrowland Terrace to check in for the Enchanted Pre-Party.

They had made some updates since last November when we did the party. We enjoyed the upgrade to real bread for the cheese cubes versus grocery store crackers. I’m glad for the fruit to help cut all the desserts as well. The snickerdoodle cookie was the biggest fail for us as it was like eating a sugar cube. Even a young child near us thought it was too much. I did enjoy the chocolate pudding cup along with cake bites but tbh, I mostly ate cheese and fruit instead. The real winner is all you can drink wine and beer. We stuck to the cava which was the right amount of bubbles for the night.

Decorate your own cookie station

Crepe Station

Buffet

All the Cava

About 10 minutes before the fireworks, we left to head to the Plaza Gardens area for the show. Many of the party participants were already there so the best spots were taken but for two adults, we were more than happy with the spot we had and for the fact it was close to the exit so as soon as the fireworks ended we could power walk to the buses. Which worked out well as we were on the first bus out post fireworks!

FIreworks​

 

[ThreeBoyMama]

I am so jealous of your Sanaa lunch!

 

[2xcited2sleep]

I've not done one of the parties as I don't have much of a sweet tooth, but the cava may prove to be a game changer for me! Some cheese, chocolate covered strawberries, cava, a reserved viewing area and easy exit sounds pretty worth it to me!!!

 

[gosalyn_mallard]

All the Cava

Impressive!!
Guess they don't staff the party well enough to clear the dirty glasses.

 

[Dis_Yoda]

I am so jealous of your Sanaa lunch!

I love it there. I wish I could have that more often!

I've not done one of the parties as I don't have much of a sweet tooth, but the cava may prove to be a game changer for me! Some cheese, chocolate covered strawberries, cava, a reserved viewing area and easy exit sounds pretty worth it to me!!!

Yes! It may not be fancy cheese but at least it is tasty cheese. Cheese and cava make it worth it when you account for the lack of having to deal with crowds or waiting forever for a great spot.

Impressive!!
Guess they don't staff the party well enough to clear the dirty glasses.

It is kinda one of those things that we're both happy and sad about that. On one hand we can see how much we got to enjoy and on the other we can see how much we enjoyed. The staff were more attentive to the tables with young children which is fine with us. We're easy going and less risk of us causing broken plates.

 

[Dis_Yoda]

Blaze Pizza, Hanger Bar & Gideon’s

We spent the morning in Magic Kingdom and then I remembered that GIdeon’s exists and we needed to buy something from there finally because we own a dog named Gideon now. So we headed to the Contemporary and got on the bus to Disney Springs.

After getting on the 1 hour 40 minute waitlist, my husband and I decided to take it easy for lunch and go to Blaze Pizza as it always treated us well. We split a pepperoni pizza and an order of garlic bread and it was just enough to satisfy us both.

Pepperoni Pizza & Garlic Bread

We went into a couple of shops and my husband got bored of waiting to buy cookies so he headed to the buses back to the Boardwalk. I headed over to Hanger Bar to kill my time before I got my text message that I could go spend money on cookies. Yes, I feel I was as insane as that sounds. I went with The Scottish Professor which is a blend of Monkey Shoulder Blended malt Scotch Whiskey, Hendrick's Gin, Pear Nectar, Simple Syrup, and fresh Lemon Juice. It was a refreshing cocktail for a hot day. The right type of strong but light if that makes any sense.

The Scottish Professor​

I was halfway through my second drink when I got the text message to get in line so I paid and chugged the rest of my drink.

The line moved fast once you were in it. It took about 10 minutes to get to the front and into the store. They were sold out of the t-shirt I wanted so I ended up getting a pin, an insulated tote bag, 2 slices of Cookies & Cream cake and 3 cookies that apparently I failed at taking photos of (Cookies and Cream, Peanut Butter Cold Brew, and Triple Chocolate) We slowly ate these over the course of the trip. I loved the cake but overall, everything is super rich and it was great to be able to share when we unwrapped something or otherwise I doubt we would have finished it.

Cookies & Cream Cake

After I got my goodies, I headed back to the Boardwalk to relax before we headed back to Disney Spring later that evening for dinner.​

 

[Dis_Yoda]

Enzo’s Hideaway

We drove to Disney Springs and had zero issues parking which was nice. We did a little window shopping and checked into our reservation at Enzo’s. They weren’t very busy so we were quickly seated at a booth where we selected our wine and decided on our food selections.

The wine was an easy drinker that needed no time to open so it was perfect for an easy dinner.

Wine

We split the platter for our appetizer where we got to enjoy all the wonderful cheeses and meats.

Cured Meats & Artisan Cheeses (serves two people) Prosciutto di Parma, Salame Piccante, Finocchiona, Parmigiano, Pecorino, Fontina, Cured Olives, Grissini (bread sticks)

I went with an appetizer for my meal since I knew we had cake back in the room that needed to be enjoyed. These meatballs were wonderful and I love their sauce.

Polpettine - classic braised meatballs, whipped ricotta, parmigiana

My husband went with his normal selection of Nonna’s Pasta and he was thrilled.

Pasta Della Nonna - Rigatoni Pasta, Short Rib, Meatball and Sausage, Pomodoro Sauce, Parmigiano

Overall, it was a great meal for a low key Sunday evening.​

 

[ThreeBoyMama]

That was just a day of deliciousness right there!