"Lemme Get You By Your Fishy Fin!" a May/F&G '18 dining report *COMPLETE 8/29, Maria & Enzo's

earfulofmagic

cranking out magic and assembly line whimsy
Joined
May 16, 2017
:fish:

Jambo! And welcome to my second dining report!

A special welcome back to anyone who slogged through my first dining report :) And if you quit reading that one because it's way too verbose: fear not, for this one will be brief due to few (or missing) photos. Plus, it was a short trip and we canceled a bunch of ADRs before arriving and while in WDW.

WHO:
Your culinary hosts will be myself, Chris, and my partner in crime (and law), T!



We're the ones fainting in the back row. We're both in our mid/late 20s, and we both work in tech. Since I find it spectacularly difficult to play favorites with WDW dining, I'll list our favorite drinks this summer instead!

Chris' summer bev faves:
beer: (Rogue) Condor Kolsch
cocktail: cran-apple juice with Deep Eddy ruby red vodka

T's summer beverage faves:
beer: (Wild Ride) Nut Crusher Peanut Butter Porter
cocktail: classic margarita

We both name sushi as our ultimate favorite food, and yet I get such pushback when I suggest we go out for sushi multiple times a week. :scratchin

WHEN:
5/4-8, 2018.

WHERE:
We stayed at Pop Century, which was as groovy as ever. :hippie:

WHY:
One of my dearest old pals from high school/middle school was marrying the love of her life! Also, I really wanted to see Flower & Garden Festival :flower3:

WHAT:
This was my 5th WDW trip and T's 3rd! We really used our annual passes to the max.


And now, please pour yourself a favorite drink :drinking1, sit back, and relax, as I guide you through the least photographed trip I think we've ever taken.

Stay tuned for travel day + arrival evening!​
 
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A Barren Landscape: Arrival Night

As a little background, neither of us were exactly looking forward to this trip. We had done a lot of traveling and packing in April because we were set to move May 9, so we were kind of over anything that didn't involve lounging on the sofa. A few days before the trip, I threw out my back (for the first time -- such a nice welcome to the last half of my 20s :worried:) during our packing frenzy. Between physical and moving stress we began to see this trip as another hassle.



There were several moments when I wanted to cancel the hotel, fly in only for the wedding, then leave on the latest flight out that evening... but that also seemed stressful, and changing flights became prohibitively expensive. Like an extra $300-400 pp one-way expensive. :headache: So, we tried to put the moving stress on hold while in Florida and use the time to unwind.

~~~~~

Our flight was at 3:30pm with an arrival at 9pm local time. It was delayed by a bit. When we took off into the friendly skies, we both got a cocktail; the rest of the flight was uneventful. :drinking: Landed ~20 minutes past the original arrival time. While deplaning, the guy in the window seat overheard me telling T about an old friend who is a Southwest flight attendant; he happened to be an off-duty Southwest FA and asked what her name was. Her name is Alex Smith, but it took me a few seconds to remember her last name ("Alex.... um... Smith"), so I sounded like a liar, as if I had said her name was Jane Doe.



I thought the rental car desks would be empty at night, but every rental counter had long lines. I pulled out my laptop from my carry-on to do Alamo online checkin, so we could bypass the desk and pick out a car in the garage.

This was the only time we've rented a car for WDW. We needed one for the wedding, and I was curious about having a car instead of using Disney transportation or Lyft. I got a great deal ($100) for a standard-sized car with Alamo via Costco, plus Costco was running a $20 cash card promo! And when you book with Costco the additional driver fee is waived. Also, this reservation was booked pre-parking fees, so I thought we might as well.

The first car we came across was a brand new, black Fusion hybrid -- it was the exact same model we'd rented and loved two weeks prior in Oregon, and this one had only three miles on it! It was closing in on 10:30pm when we drove out of MCO.

:car:

Here is where the food comes in and things go a bit wonky. My original plan was to stop quickly at a Publix near WDW, order Pub Subs at the deli, then eat them once we got to Pop. We wouldn't make it to the store before closing, so we continued on to Pop and figured we'd go to the food court. By the time we dropped bags in our room and walked over to the food court, every station had closed down except for the pizza... and it was packed to the gills.



Thinking incoherently because of my food-starved brain, I suggested we walk over to Art of Animation's food court (Landscape of Flavors) because "maybe their other stations will be open!" :rolleyes2 Naturally, they too only had pizza available. In hindsight, we should've just gotten into the car and driven over to Disney Springs. But at the time we were tired, in need of showers, and didn't feel like eating in public (food courts don't count).

There was also a long line at Landscape of Flavors, so we got in the "express" pizza line and got a plate of pepperoni pizza, which has two slices and comes with two breadsticks, because carbs complement carbs. I didn't take a picture of this probably because I didn't want to remember that moment.

I think we were still hungry or just generally dissatisfied, so we looked at the self-serve bakery selections. T was taking forever to decide and I was getting impatient. I went to the nearest freezer bin and picked up a Mickey bar, thinking he would probably like one. I thought he was behind me, but he wasn't with me at the register. Then I went over to the bakery area and he was gone. :confused: When we found each other, he had already gone through the register too with a cupcake for me! It was like a knockoff O. Henry story and it put our sad pizza out of our minds completely (until I started writing this report).


We made the cupcake into a sandwich (the best way to eat a cupcake when possible)



Apparently I didn't take pictures of these before we started eating. T loved his first Mickey bar! :mickeybar I think this was also my first -- there's a small chance my parents let me have one as a kid, but I strongly doubt it.

I loved the cupcake (funfetti forever) and T loved the Mickey bar, so all's well that ends well. I'm sure we saved some money with Tables in Wonderland but I don't know where my receipts are from this trip, so I'm going to guess we saved a whopping $3 or $4.

We really like Landscape of Flavors (and Everything Pop, too) under normal conditions when their other stations are open -- not trying to be down on them, we just showed up at the wrong time.

Up next, a character breakfast with an ulterior motive...
 


DH and I are staying at Pop in October for a F&W long weekend (no kids). I didn’t want to spend a lot of money on our room and I picked Pop because of being able to walk over to AoA. I’d like to check out the hotel and Landscape of Flavors. Great start!
 
Bon Voyage: Breakfast at the Boardwalk


Our Epcot fastpasses began at 9am, but I had an "if we get there, we'll get there" attitude. T was exhausted when I woke up around 8am — we did not make the first two. Instead I lounged and read while T slept in, before we headed out around 10am for our 10:30am ADR at Trattoria al Forno. The new plan was to eat breakfast, see if we had enough time to make the last FP for Soarin', see some of Flower & Garden, then go to Publix.

:drive:

I was surprised how simple it was to have a rental car at WDW. I've read many opinions on how it's a huge hassle to drive and park around property, but it was really nice. We had ice cold air conditioning all to ourselves, I could leave my hat or umbrella or shopping bags in the car, we didn't have to wait or stand on a bus, when we had resort ADRs we went directly to the resort, and we didn't need to leave early to allot for Disney bus issues... it was really quite convenient and we both enjoyed ~personal~ transportation. That said, I'm rarely unhappy using Disney transportation and/or Lyft to get around, but now I know firsthand that a rental car (for us) is a good option. Also, I avoided parking at the TTC for Magic Kingdom because that *did* sound like more of a hassle than taking the bus. The other 3 parks, Disney Springs, and resort parking were all super easy.


I feel like I have to insert "room info" somewhere in this report, but we didn't take any room photos because this was my third, T's second, time in the new Pop rooms. So... OOTD photo it is! :bitelip: We were in a room in the 70s overlooking the lake. I really like the new rooms. It feels like a DisneyxIKEA collaboration: modern, clean, and cozy. They're perfect for just the two of us on "busy" trips when we're not planning on much resort time.

Anyway! In seemingly no time (really, maybe 6-7 minutes) we had gone from Pop to the Boardwalk's parking lot. I had us dawdle for a bit so we could admire the Boardwalk's lobby.



We checked in at Trattoria al Forno and waited just a few minutes before being seated. When the hostess led us to our table she asked what we were up to that day; I said we were going to a wedding that night. She promptly responded with "oh, you're brave, I never eat before a big event like a wedding so I look good in pictures!" :rotfl: (The dress I brought was very forgiving, so I wasn't worried about bloating.)



Our table had a nice view of the open kitchen, or at least I did from my side of the table. You can't tell from this mediocre photo, but it's nice :bitelip:

We ordered, and our server brought over pastries for the table and fruit bowls.









I liked the clamshell turnover (I think it was cherry) and maybe the Tangled sunburst?, but wasn't enamored with the rest. T ate the majority of the pastries. They were just of average quality, though all were pretty. The fruit bowl was actually noteworthy because it was super fresh, which is the opposite of the fruit salads I've so far had in Disney restaurants.



Before long, Flynn Rider appeared in a smoldering blaze.



Rapunzel stopped by. I like that the little girl behind her is kind of side-eyeing T.

Here I'll stop to note that I had a hidden agenda for this breakfast, and like all of my "in hindsight" mentions, I'm just appalled at my choices. :rotfl: I really wanted to get the Pascal glow light at this breakfast, and that is the sole reason I booked it. I was interested in the food (it had great reviews) but not at all interested in the character aspect. Should I have just stopped here sometime and asked if I could buy the glow light? Probably. :confused3

Anyway, our entrees made an appearance next.



Obligatory trident photo. You can also spot my precious Pascal glow light, which I carried with me for the rest of that trip and sometimes attach to cocktails at home. :thumbsup2



King Triton's Shipwreck al Forno: Calzone with Scrambled Eggs, Bell Peppers, Salumi, Bacon, Sausage, Blend of Cheeses, and Sunday Gravy.

So, another "in hindsight" part, which I know is super fun to read... :rolleyes: I asked when ordering if I could get the calzone without sausage. Everything else was fine, but I don't like sausage. The server said they couldn't leave out just one meat, but they could do the vegetarian version. I said okay to that, but I should've just taken the normal version and picked out any sausage when I came to it. This had no cheese and no egg! It was completely vegan. I recently saw a review of this calzone and they had what looked like delicious butter and garlic on the outside, so I really did miss out.

However, I have to say, this was one of the tastiest vegan meals I've ever had. It was still quite satisfying because it was huge and absolutely stuffed with vegetables: broccoli, squash, I think bell pepper?, roasted potatoes, onions?, possibly string beans, and others I've since forgotten. It was well seasoned and tasty, loved that it was charred and flavorful, and the tomato sauce was good. But I missed out on a garlicky buttery exterior! Oh well, I felt ~healthy~ because I was mainly eating vegetables.



Utterly failed to get a photo of T's meal, the Royale Breakfast: Oak-grilled Steak, Cheesy-Egg Torte, and Fonduta with Breakfast Potatoes and crispy Onions. I asked him to take a photo and he just took this close-up of his steak cooked to order. :confused: You can kind of see everything in the background of the trident photo. He enjoyed this, and I sampled bits of it and agreed all were good. The "cheesy-egg torte" is actually a Spanish omelette, and it was delicious; it also had some grilled asparagus spears on top. The roasted potatoes and crispy onions were flavorful, the steak was great. This portion was plenty, too.



Prince Eric was a perfect gentleman. I love his royal costume.



And now for the namesake of this dining report! Ariel was the last to visit and the most fun to meet. When we were ready for the photo she sidled up to T and said, "aw yeah, lemme get you by your fishy fin!" and took his arm for the photo. :rotfl: I actually didn't hear that at the time and T told me after breakfast, which we both found just hilarious. We now say the same thing when we walk arm in arm together. We used to say "grab me by the elbow!" because that was an old joke, but we've happily moved on to fishy fin.

:fish:

Overall, this was a nice breakfast. It was expensive (I think with Tables in Wonderland it was still around $80 total, but part of that was my $6 Pascal glow light) but less expensive than other character meals. Then again, those are almost all buffets, and that somehow makes their price gouging less egregious.

If you don't care about the characters they offer a non-character option, where you sit on the outside patio and entrees are significantly cheaper. Had I known that was an option at the time, I definitely would've done that. Still, it was nice to do it once, and at least I learned we don't care about character experiences. It was very busy and loud inside, which is to be expected, and the service was typical of Disney restaurants where they assign too many tables to each server. If you or your family love character meals and you're sick of buffets, this is a nice option to consider.

On the other hand, when we left we randomly started chatting with this woman part of an (all adult) family who had also just left the character breakfast. She said since they loved it so much and were semi-local (an hour or two away) they drove up sometimes just for this breakfast, like on Valentine's Day or her birthday. Good for her, not for me. I didn't think the food or experience was special enough to warrant repeat visits.

After this, we made our way through the International Gateway where we found massive Flower & Garden crowds! We got on Soarin' during the 15 minute grace period, rode, then went back to the car.



Coming up next: T experiences his first Florida downpour, and we attend a wedding.
 
DH and I are staying at Pop in October for a F&W long weekend (no kids). I didn’t want to spend a lot of money on our room and I picked Pop because of being able to walk over to AoA. I’d like to check out the hotel and Landscape of Flavors. Great start!
I hope you two have a wonderful long weekend there! I really like Pop and AOA, and enjoy walking around both places. It's also nice that neither hotel shares bus service, and you can easily hop on AoA's bus and just walk back to Pop if it comes up first.

We are especially fond of the blackened mahi sandwich at Pop, and T says the waffle fries there are the best he's ever had. The World of Flavors station is our favorite at AOA. :flower:
 
aubrey_plaza_help.gif

:rotfl: we just rewatched Parks & Rec and I love this gif.

I really wanted to get the Pascal glow light at this breakfast, and that is the sole reason I booked it.

That sounds like a good reason to me :thumbsup2

I was interested in the food (it had great reviews) but not at all interested in the character aspect.

We're also not super interested in character meals. Well once in awhile we don't mind doing one, but not the face character ones. I almost booked this once to get a picture of Josh and Flynn (Josh smolders too) but we find face character meets really awkward so we decided not to.

King Triton's Shipwreck al Forno: Calzone with Scrambled Eggs, Bell Peppers, Salumi, Bacon, Sausage, Blend of Cheeses, and Sunday Gravy.

Speaking of Parks & Rec...:rotfl:

gXuIAvb.gif


If you don't care about the characters they offer a non-character option, where you sit on the outside patio and entrees are significantly cheaper.

Do you know if it's the same exact menu? I know they used to have breakfast there pre character meal with a different menu, so I was wondering if they had other choices.
 
Great photos and reviews so far. Looking forward to the rest.
Thanks, and welcome! :wave2:

That sounds like a good reason to me :thumbsup2
Phew, it wasn't totally unreasonable then! :rotfl:

We're also not super interested in character meals. Well once in awhile we don't mind doing one, but not the face character ones. I almost booked this once to get a picture of Josh and Flynn (Josh smolders too) but we find face character meets really awkward so we decided not to.
Same. We did CRT (because of the castle!) once, and this was our second/last face character meal. We're awkward at them too!

Speaking of Parks & Rec...:rotfl:

gXuIAvb.gif
Ha!! Excellent opportunity for that gif :teeth:

Do you know if it's the same exact menu? I know they used to have breakfast there pre character meal with a different menu, so I was wondering if they had other choices.
I think it is the exact same menu. I found this link with menu photos you need to really zoom in on, and it's from almost a year ago, but the entrees are the same there as the inside menu. Of course it's all a la carte, but I wouldn't miss the pastries.
 
"They're a DELICACY!"

This update is more necessary for chronology so I can get on to the next day, rather than actually having a dining review. Sorry!

We last left off leaving Epcot. We were on our way to Publix (the one at Water Tower Shoppes) and it started pouring heavily on the way, like a complete whiteout. I grew up in Florida (did I ever mention that? :rolleyes1) so I'm kind of delighted, as I haven't seen a real, heavy thunderstorm in many years, since I moved away. T refused to exit the car for the mad 50-foot dash from the parking lot to the store, so we probably waited 15 or 20 minutes in the car until he was finally persuaded that there was no "waiting the storm out."

Once inside, I remembered the strangely fun feeling of being soaking wet in an air-conditioned grocery store. Ahhh, Florida. :umbrella: We took our time exploring Publix; it has been so long since I've been inside one, and T had never been to one. He loved it. I convinced him to get his first Pub Sub because when in Rome...! We picked up some things, namely a few beers, sparkling water, and more yogurt than T would finish. I also half-begged him to get a poncho. I tried to convince him to buy one in the parks ahead of time, but he had resisted. Now with the torrential downpour he finally understood the need for one.

After checking out, I helped him put on his very first poncho, and we stayed somewhat dry while loading the groceries into the car. We made the "scary" whiteout drive back to Pop, then we showered and relaxed until it was time to get dressed and leave for the wedding. Also somewhere in there we shared half of the Pub Sub, delicious!

~~~~~

Heavy traffic on the way to the venue, Cypress Grove Estate House. Of course, by then the sky was dry, clear, and beautifully sunny for my friend's wedding. It wasn't even humid there. :cloud9:

I have almost no photos from the wedding, but it was so much fun! I reconnected with a few friends from high school, old family friends, and even made some new pals. It felt like a homecoming of sorts. At one point when chatting in a group, we mentioned we'd gone to Publix earlier in the day for T's first visit, and two of our new friends (also Floridians) asked if he'd gotten a Pub Sub! :laughing: Such a rite of passage.

The bride and groom had last minute upgraded to an open bar, and had told a few people that everyone should drink 5-7 drinks to break even. I had no problem taking up the charge and became good friends with the bartender, James. :drinking1

I managed to get a photo of the menu and entree, but basically nothing else.



Enhance.



There we go! T and I both had RSVP'd for chicken entrees, assuming the steak might be overdone. Apparently it was.



The chicken was actually really good! Moist, not dried out at all. It was stuffed with cheese.

Our friends across the table had both chosen steak, which came with scallops, which was a last minute upgrade too. Apparently neither of them eat seafood but T and I loooove scallops, so we each traded maybe a third of our chicken for the other person's scallops. When the bride came over we somehow began talking about our scallop trading, and she told this hilarious story about telling someone their decision to upgrade the catering and add scallops to the steak choice. The person responded in disgust, and the bride was outraged. "Are you kidding me?! They're a DELICACY! They're delicious!!! Expensive! You'll eat them!" :rotfl:

The rest of the night passed so quickly, and soon it was time for the newly married couple's sparkler exit. We had so much fun and I was thankful we didn't miss the wedding after all. :goodvibes

T drove us back to Pop, where I pretty much inhaled the second half of my calzone from that morning, drank a ton of water, and promptly fell asleep.

Up next, we travel back in time to catch a movie and a meal.
 
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Same. We did CRT (because of the castle!) once, and this was our second/last face character meal. We're awkward at them too!

We did 1900 Park Fare for dinner on our first trip, and it was just so awkward :rotfl:

I think it is the exact same menu. I found this link with menu photos you need to really zoom in on, and it's from almost a year ago, but the entrees are the same there as the inside menu. Of course it's all a la carte, but I wouldn't miss the pastries.

Yeah afterwards I googled and I saw that one too. I'm considering it for a future trip.
 
We did 1900 Park Fare for dinner on our first trip, and it was just so awkward :rotfl:
I can imagine! We've had ADRs for 1900 PF, so far we always cancel. I want pictures with the stepsisters and Lady Tremaine but I almost dread face character meals.

Joining in!

We will be trying the Bon Voyage breakfast for the first time this November. Thanks for the review! It looks great!
:welcome: Wishing you guys a fun trip in November!
 
Midday Starry Skies, More Rain, & Cheesecake

The next morning, we left Pop around 10:30am and drove to Hollywood Studios. It started raining on our way to bag check, and continued off-and-on raining until we left. It kept us nice and cool, plus the park seemed pretty empty.

We had just enough time to make our FP for Rock'n'Roller Coaster, and right after that we zoomed over to check in for our 11am ADR at Sci-Fi Dine-In!



Sci-Fi Dine-In is something of a guilty pleasure for me. The food isn't exactly exciting, yet I love it anyway: the theme, setting, B-movie trailers, and atmosphere really speak to me. :lovestruc It also helps that they accept Tables in Wonderland on top of their relatively low prices. T has an equivalent guilty pleasure in loving Beaches & Cream for similar reasons.

According to my notes we were seated at 10:58am. There was this little card waiting at our car to remind us how we repeatedly choose to return to Sci-Fi instead of going somewhere new:



There's more on the inside, but I didn't take a picture then and I still don't know where I packed away receipts and such from this trip.



In short order, our food arrived! On previous trips I've had the turkey sandwich and falafel burger. This time I tried the pan-seared chicken pasta, mainly to satisfy my curiosity around why this item is one of the more expensive on the menu.



(Penne Pasta tossed in a Smoked Tomato Four-Cheese Cream Sauce with Baby Kale, Fennel, Zucchini, and Red Bell Peppers. Also available with Whole-Wheat Penne Pasta, $24)

Turns out this costs $24 because it's more than enough to feed two hungry people. Hard to show in this picture (the only one I took?!) but there was probably ~5 lbs of chicken lurking beneath the top layer of pasta. Well, maybe a little less than 5 lbs... but the portion is beyond generous and heading into excessive territory. It tasted fantastic. I was a little worried that the sauce would be like a heavy cream sauce but it was actually pretty light, which I liked. The fennel and kale upped the flavor game here. I don't think there was anything I disliked about this aside from it being way too big to finish alone, even with some help from T.

Speaking of Mr. T, he ordered the Drive-in BBQ burger: Our Signature Blend of Beef, BBQ Spice, Brioche Bun, House-made BBQ Sauce, Bacon, and Cheddar served with Crispy-fried Jalapeño and Onion Straws, $19.



I'm unsure why I only took one photo each of our meals... I normally take a bunch from several angles. :confused3 I recall being super hungry, maybe that's why, or perhaps it was the (lack of good) lighting. Anyway! He liked this but also said he didn't think it was a to-die-for burger. He made a big deal about the crispy jalapenos, which were indeed delicious. It was a big step up from the salmon salad (no longer on the menu) he had on his first visit here.

We were both too full for anything else, so this was all we ate. I wish I could say how much we saved with Tables in Wonderland at this meal, but I still don't have our receipts readily available. :scared: We probably saved around $11 based on the menu prices.



After another happy visit to simpler times, we returned to the year 2018. Our next stop: Star Tours. Once back on our home planet, we discovered our Tower of Terror FP had converted to an anytime FP, so we used that to go on RnRC again. Then we hopped to Epcot via boat. Normally we walk, but I enjoy the boat ride and we'll sometimes take it for a change of pace (i.e. a break from being sweaty).

We got off at the Swan and walked the rest of the way to the International Gateway. We leisurely walked around World Showcase admiring the topiaries and festival decorations. There was still light rain keeping us cool and the crowds were pretty low then.


I really liked the bonsai displays. This tree was 50 years old and in training for 37 years.


This one was 200 years old, in training for 17 years. Proof that it's never too late to start something new! :)

I picked up festival passports and also picked up a FP for Test Track at 3:05pm. I assumed it would convert to an anytime FP because the rain would probably close Test Track, and that is just what happened! We finished our walk around World Showcase, stopped to see some more topiaries in Future World, used the FP to ride Mission Space, then went on Figment (just because).

:figment:

After that we walked back to World Showcase and purchased one of the scavenger hunt maps since we'd enjoyed the Figment version during Festival of the Arts. Shortly after we stopped at one of the festival booths, The Honey Bee-stro.



Local Wildflower Honey-Mascarpone Cheesecake with Orange Blossom Honey Ice Cream garnished with Fennel Pollen Meringue Kisses, $4.75, and a Honey-Peach Cobbler Freeze (non-alcoholic), $4.25



The ~presentation~ here irked me. We're not in a restaurant, we're at an outdoors festival (really, theme park!) in the south. The food itself is pretty but I wish they would use a smaller plate.



This was fine as a snack/dessert. I remember thinking it was one-note in flavor, just sweet/honey; could've used some contrast. Aesthetically I think the shape of the cheesecake, the flower on top, and the glitter-filled honey were all beautiful.



The honey-peach cobbler freeze was a bit of a letdown in size and flavor. I remember this as cloyingly sweet. Should've gotten the version with blueberry vodka to help cut through all that honey.

It wasn't a bad first stop, but we didn't go back to try the roasted cauliflower or honey tandoori chicken flatbread, which were probably the better items at this booth.

:car:

After that we walked back to Hollywood Studios to get the car, and once again we were back at Pop in all of five minutes. We showered, watched House Hunters, and lounged before dinner in Disney Springs.

Up next: I reunite with sweet tea!
 

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