Summer 2017...Disney, Universal, Carnival Liberty, and Disney!!!

[olliesmom]

Thank you for sharing the cost breakdown! It sounds like you guys did really well getting good value out of the plan, and that it gave you the freedom to try a lot of new things that you wouldn't otherwise have tried. That's what vacation is all about!

Really looking forward to the next parts of your reviews - I enjoy all of your updates and honest, detailed reviews!

 

[Texans_loyal]

Enjoying your review! the breakdown of numbers really help!

 

[Niki Andiokno]

Great Reviews. The fish at California Grill looks great. We always seem to go to Cali Grill only for appetizers and dessert. Of course once you add our bar bill, it equals the bill for all of you together. Looks like I need to skip a couple martinis and order that fishy.

Nice to see another Skipper Canteen review. We really liked that restaurant on our recent trip.

Keep them coming.

 

[tyandskyesmom]

The Toothsome Chocolate Emporium

I really wanted to have dinner at The Toothsome Chocolate Emporium.

Unfortunately, reservations are not the same at Universal as they are at Disney and being that we'd never been here before, we didn't really know what time we would be reserving anyway. So we got to the Chocolate Emporium and it was crazy in there! We decided to check in and wait. At 7:18pm we checked in and were told it was an hour and twenty minute wait. We looked around the store. They had some really fun stuff there. It was super hot out and the place was super crowded inside so we eventually found a spot on a bench outside and sat for a while. A little later it started drizzling.

We decided we did not want to wait any longer and then sit through a meal so we decided on a couple of shakes.

We decided on the
Red Velvet ( V ) -
Vanilla ice cream, Red Velvet cupcake, raspberry sauce, rainbow sprinkles, fresh whipped cream, cherry.

And the
Strawberry Cheesecake ( V ) - sour cream ice cream, cheesecake, graham crackers, fresh whipped cream, chocolate dipped strawberry.

These were really good, thick, flavorful milkshakes. They would have been too much for one person but were perfect for two. They have a lot more choices that Planet Hollywood and you get to keep the plastic jars they are served in.


SO while I was disappointed that we didn't get to eat there, the shakes were well worth it! We paid $26.63 for them.

DDDP Credits used so far = 60 + 4 mug credits + 30 snack credits
DDDP value so far = $3037.04
Out of Pocket TOTAL so far= $545.43
TOTAL Cash Value so far = $3582.47

 

[tyandskyesmom]

Sal's Market Deli

We decided on dinner of take out at Sal's Market Deli at Portofino Bay. We gave Cary our order and Skye and I went to the room while Cary and Tyler waited for food. One thing we missed here were the refillable mugs at a time like this.

We ordered two items that at least three of us would eat.

We ordered the Meatball Parmagiana - meatballs, house marinara, mozzarella

It was huge and cheesey. Tyler had half and Cary had half. They both really enjoyed it. It normally comes with a side salad tha tSkyler enjoyed and I don't have a picture. It was not a small salad! She loved it.

We also got a large half pepperoni/half sausage pizza.

We all really liked this...I especially liked the sausage. It was plenty for all four of us.

Cary also got a Angry Orchard...and he already knows he likes that!

All in all we had a great meal in our great room. Everything was still hot when they got it to the room. It was made while they waited so it did take about 15 minutes. By the time they got back Skye and I were ready for bed.

Our total for dinner was $41.79.

DDDP Credits used so far = 60 + 4 mug credits + 30 snack credits
DDDP value so far = $3037.04
Out of Pocket TOTAL so far= $587.22
TOTAL Cash Value so far = $3624.26

 

[tyandskyesmom]

Lard Lad Cart

We stopped at the Lard Lad Cart to grab a Big Pink Donut and a bottle of sprite. This was on Skyler's bucket list for this trip and she never got one...but we did...and sent her a picture...and it was yummy!

It was a very light cake and the sweet strawberry was in a good amount because there is so much donut that the frosting was not overpowering. We fully intended to come back the next day to get Skye one but it never happened.

It was a total of $10.11.

DDDP Credits used so far = 60 + 4 mug credits + 30 snack credits
DDDP value so far = $3037.04
Out of Pocket TOTAL so far= $597.33
TOTAL Cash Value so far = $3634.37

 

[tyandskyesmom]

Monster Cafe

We were starting to get hungry. It was about noon and we were hungry and were near Monsters Cafe so in we went.

We decided to get three freestyle cups.

I decided on a side Chef Salad and side mac & cheese...

Both were both what I wanted at the time. Nothing exceptionally gourmet but good and hit the spot. It was so hot out, I didn't have a feeling for much more. Plus, the cost of things seemed outrageous!

Cary had the
Smokehouse Specialty Cheeseburger -

1/3 lb Burger topped with Pulled Pork, Cole Slaw, Lettuce, Tomato, and Cheddar Cheese. Served with fries.

He enjoyed it but it was huge...so I guess the price wasn't so bad after all. The fried were crinkles and just ok...kind of like frozen fries cooked in an oven.

Tyler got the extra large pizza slice with pepperoni.

He liked it but would have liked another slice...but at $8.99 per slice, that wasn't happening!

This place was very cool inside and while there were a lot of people, it did not feel crowded. We all were able to get what we wanted and were full. We looked around after we ate before leaving. I though I had more pictures of the inside but I am not finding them right now. There was a lot of monster things...models, posters, mad scientist type things...it was a very cool place for lunch.

Our total here was $70.65.


DDDP Credits used so far = 60 + 4 mug credits + 30 snack credits
DDDP value so far = $3037.04
Out of Pocket TOTAL so far= $667.98
TOTAL Cash Value so far = $3705.02

 

[agavegirl1]

I like that you are including Universal options as I always do 2 week split trips. Nice to see this.

 

[tyandskyesmom]

I like that you are including Universal options as I always do 2 week split trips. Nice to see this.

This being our first time in about 16 years and since I became an uber planner, I was going crazy because I couldn't find much good useful info about Universal. I tried. There were some reports and a little facts here and there but really, not much. I am finding that I was a really bad photographer (partly because I didn't bring my camera the first day because of what some of the little bit of info I was able to fine) and a bad note taker. I think it was because I was so absorbed in the unknown that I was just enjoying the newness to us!

 

[agavegirl1]

Nothing wrong with immersion in my opinion. I love all themed entertainment.

 

[becalubob]

Following!

 

[Texans_loyal]

Thank you for including universal! looking forward to reading the rest.

 

[tyandskyesmom]

Fast Food Boulevard

We decided we needed some food so we headed to Fast Food Boulevard in Springfield. We walked through and decided on CLetus' Chicken Shack. The venue and a lot of cool Simpson items around.

We decided on an order of Chicken Thumbs ... Fried chicken tenders with tater tots & choice of BBQ sauce or honey mustard...Skye and I shared these.

And two orders of Chicken & Waffle Sandwich ... Double Battered, extra crispy fried chicken breast between two waffles with maple syrup mayo & tater tots...

Tyler got his with no syrup mayo...

And Cary got his as it is listed...

The tater tots were a good alternative to the typical fries. The thumbs were tender and juicy and the breading was light. They were not greasy at all.

Tyler liked his plain sandwich but Cary's was much better with the maple mayo.

It was 6:00pm and it was busy but it wasn't crowded...if that makes any sense. There were a lot of staff cleaning down used tables and making sure garbage was not overflowing and condiments were full.

The only slight problem was those PITA ketchup packets that they have instead of a pump but we dealt with it.

We were very pleased with out choice!

Our total was $36.18.

DDDP Credits used so far = 60 + 4 mug credits + 30 snack credits
DDDP value so far = $3037.04
Out of Pocket TOTAL so far= $704.16
TOTAL Cash Value so far = $3741.20

 

[tyandskyesmom]

The Fountain of Fair For Une-10

We grabbed a Butterbeer from the cart.

We all loved it and we got more many times for the next 24 hours or so!

It cost $7.45.

DDDP Credits used so far = 60 + 4 mug credits + 30 snack credits
DDDP value so far = $3037.04
Out of Pocket TOTAL so far= $711.61
TOTAL Cash Value so far = $3748.65

 

[tyandskyesmom]

Sal's Market Deli

We decided on a few things. First we ordered the
Sal's Classic Italian ...
Ham, Salami, Capiccola, Aged Provolone, Tomato, Lettuce, Pepperoncini, Red Wine Vinaigrette, Kalamata Olives.

This was primarily mine and I loved it! It had a lot of meats and just enough veggies. The chips were the hard kind and I am not a fan of those but Skye loved them.

Tyler ordered the
Chicken Parmagiana -
Crispy Chicken Breast, House Marinara, Mozzarella Cheese

He really liked it but liked the meatball sandwich better.

Skye ordered the
Toscano -
Turkey, Fontina, Mustard Mayo without the mustard mayo.

She said it was ok but she didn't eat more than a bite. We were all kind of sharing (like Cary and Tyler shared the chicken Parm and Cary and I shared the classic) so I ate half of the Toscano and it was really good...I also ate half the next morning for breakfast cold and it was still good.

We also ordered a large Pepperoni Pizza...which, we already know, was a hit!

In general Sal's was great. I wish we had better timing or more knowledge about what was where and when things closed because while the menu is a decent size, pizza and sandwiches over and over gets a little old.

But every time we were there the food was hot and fresh and good!

The total was $59.61.

DDDP Credits used so far = 60 + 4 mug credits + 30 snack credits
DDDP value so far = $3037.04
Out of Pocket TOTAL so far= $771.22
TOTAL Cash Value so far = $3808.26

 

[tyandskyesmom]

Coke Icon - 429

We found a stand behind the stage area in City Walk (the receipt just says "Coke Icon - 429) and Tyler had grabbed a hot dog and we got three drink refills (which we had not bought the additional day yet so we paid a small amount for because that stand did not do the actual daily refill addition). The total was $14.02.

DDDP Credits used so far = 60 + 4 mug credits + 30 snack credits
DDDP value so far = $3037.04
Out of Pocket TOTAL so far= $785.24
TOTAL Cash Value so far = $3822.28

 

[tyandskyesmom]

Circus McGurkus Cafe Stoopendous

We headed into Circus McGurkus Cafe Stoopendous for lunch at 12:37pm..

The place is fun and colorful. Part of The high in the Sky Seuss Trolley Train Ride goes around at the top of the restaurant. It is large so it did not seem too crowded but there were a lot of people there. Kyra and her family showed up as we were finishing our meal.

We decided on a Chicken Sandwich...With French Fries for Tyler.

He enjoyed it. The chicken was a huge chunk on a bun, plain of course. It was real chicken and not a pressed chicken patty. The fries were decent fast food fries.

Cary and I ordered the 2 piece fried chicken dinner...With Corn on the Cob and Mashed Potatoes & Gravy...and one with a side caesar salad and one with a side of fries. Skye and I were kind of sharing...she wanted the corn and potatoes and I could have the chicken.

The chicken were big meaty pieces, a large very good sweet corn (Skye ended up with Cary's and I got mine), and the potatoes were good. The caesar salad was really good according to Cary and the fries were the same fries with the chicken sandwich obviously. This was a really filling meal that is actually quite different than what we would have expected to see at a fast food joint in a theme park.

Skyler ordered the Chicken Caesar Salad with the dressing on the side.

She really enjoyed this. It had crunchy fried chicken pieces on it and tortilla strips on top. She ate this all along with a corn on the cob and all the potatoes she could snag.

We also bought the day's refill on our cups here too.

Skye and Cary took some pictures when we were done eating...

We were all full and had really enjoyed our meal here. I think in the future we would return here for lunch. Our total here was $70.75.

DDDP Credits used so far = 60 + 4 mug credits + 30 snack credits
DDDP value so far = $3037.04
Out of Pocket TOTAL so far= $855.99
TOTAL Cash Value so far = $3893.03

 

[tyandskyesmom]

Captain America Diner

We back tracked to the Captain America Diner at 4:42pm. We grabbed a table near the window. Tyler got a Chocolate Chip Cookie for a total of $1.91.

DDDP Credits used so far = 60 + 4 mug credits + 30 snack credits
DDDP value so far = $3037.04
Out of Pocket TOTAL so far= $857.90
TOTAL Cash Value so far = $3894.94

 

[tyandskyesmom]

Chill - 152

While Tyler was getting his cookie Cary and Skyler ran to Chill - 152 for snacks.

Skye got vanilla soft serve in a waffle cone and I got swirl soft serve in a waffle cone.

And Cary for a cup of vanilla soft serve with caramel and reeses pieces with whipped cream.

It was ice cream, cold and good. It was a great snack for the hot afternoon and a good place to wait out the rain. Our total was $18.08.

DDDP Credits used so far = 60 + 4 mug credits + 30 snack credits
DDDP value so far = $3037.04
Out of Pocket TOTAL so far= $875.98
TOTAL Cash Value so far = $3913.02

 

[tyandskyesmom]

Fire Eaters

At 6:27pm we stopped at Fire Eaters for some food.

There's a small area with tables next to the ordering window.

We all decided on two items to sample and Cary ordered. Cary and Tyler waited while Skye and I found a seat. There was no one else there when we arrived. It took a while for our order to be ready. I don't know if this was normal and everything is regularly made to order (I doubt it) or if they just didn't have anything ready.

We decided on an order of Chicken Stingers (with Hot Sauce) with fries.

These were really good in a vinegary hot sauce. They were four large chicken tenders. We also were given a cup of ranch dressing...which helped because they were pretty hot. And the fries were the normal fries we have had other places here.

We also grabbed a Gyro Platter served with hummus.

This was really good, but small. None of us eat hummus so I cannot comment on that. But the gyro was my favorite here...it was hot and the meat wasn't burnt and dry like it is a lot of the time with gyros.

For our wait we were given a Brookie....

The kids loved it...chewy brownie with a chocolate chip cookie baked in the middle...what's not to like???

Over all we enjoyed this place. It could have been faster but as far as the food goes, it was great.

We did have a large family come over and grab a couple of tables in the small table area and they let their kids run all over. Now, we were outside so it wasn't that huge a problem except that your kids should not be running around touching my chairs and table while they are running around...well, these kids were and no one was paying the least bit of attention to them...except me and Skye who were a little put out by this.

But that is not the venue's problem...all in all, we think we will be back here.

Our total was $20.86.

DDDP Credits used so far = 60 + 4 mug credits + 30 snack credits
DDDP value so far = $3037.04
Out of Pocket TOTAL so far= $896.84
TOTAL Cash Value so far = $3933.88