kristenhh
Why can't we go to DL for EVERY vacation?
- Joined
- Sep 30, 2005
Welcome to my food report! I started it before we left, but now we have been home for a few weeks and I need to fill in some details.
The Premise: This will be an anniversary trip for us with no kids. We are planning to have a relaxed pace with afternoon breaks built in- gasp!
The Background: We went on our honeymoon to WDW, and have had several family trips through the years. We have done one other adults-only trip since having kids, but we went with lots of extended family. This will be the first time since our honeymoon with just the 2 of us.
We are trying a lot of new things this trip, including:
1. Taking an afternoon break
2. The Food and Wine Festival – if it’s not too insanely crowded
3. Renting points and staying at a DVC hotel (Saratoga Springs- not our 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, etc. choice- but hey – it was available!)
4. Quite a few new restaurants
5. Using Uber
6. Staying offsite the first few nights
This report will center on the food- with probably some trip details thrown in. Our last trip included the kids- one of our daughters was doing the college program- so we got a great rate at an AOA suite. However, the deal would only let us do the CS Dining plan, and would not let us upgrade to the regular Dining plan. This turned out fine- we got to try a bunch of CS places that we really enjoyed. But this time, we have the regular dining plan, and will pay OOP for Signature meals, and F&W snacks, as well as whatever else we want! Here is the plan:
The Plan:
Arrival Day- Staying off site near the airport
Food Plan- Whatever we can find
Day 1: Plan: Check into Disney Springs Hotel- Epcot – Then Disney Springs – Then HS for fireworks
Lunch: F&W booths – New!
Dinner: Frontera Cocina- New! We have always wanted to try Rick Bayless’s restaurant in Chicago- but since we’ve never been to Chicago- we were really excited he opened one in Disney Springs.
Day 2: Plan: Epcot again – See Illuminations?
Lunch: F&W booths
Dinner: Le Cellier- a family favorite and my favorite restaurant in the world. The whole world. It has never let me down yet, fingers crossed.
Day 3: Plan: Check into Saratoga Springs – Dining Plan begins - Epcot again- too much? Maybe?
Lunch: F&W booths
Dinner: CS – Mexico if we are still at Epcot, maybe WPE
Day 4: Plan: AK Morning- Break – MK evening
Lunch: Flame Tree BBQ- also a CS favorite
Dinner – Crystal Palace- We can still hang out with Pooh- even with no kids!
Day 5: Plan: HS – Break – Fantasmic
Breakfast- cupcake from Starring Rolls
Lunch- Mama Melrose Fantasmic Package
Dinner- CS somewhere
Day 6: Plan: Epcot- (future world) – break – YC for dinner
Lunch – Coral Reef – New!
Dinner- Captain’s Grille- New!
Day 7: Plan: MK – Contemporary for Dinner (may not be a break here as MK closes at 4:30)
Breakfast – cinnamon roll from Gastons- New!
Lunch – BOG
Dinner- California Grill- New! My daughter highly recommends this place
Day 8: Plan: Fort Wilderness for Breakfast – MK to see anything we missed- Break – AKL for diner
Breakfast- Trail’s End- New!
Lunch- CS somewhere
Dinner- Boma- also an old favorite
Day 9: Plan: AK – Break - Kidani for dinner
Lunch – Yak & Yeti- New! I have always wanted to try this.
Dinner- Sanaa – New! My daughter highly recommends this place
Day 10: Departure Day
The Premise: This will be an anniversary trip for us with no kids. We are planning to have a relaxed pace with afternoon breaks built in- gasp!
The Background: We went on our honeymoon to WDW, and have had several family trips through the years. We have done one other adults-only trip since having kids, but we went with lots of extended family. This will be the first time since our honeymoon with just the 2 of us.
We are trying a lot of new things this trip, including:
1. Taking an afternoon break
2. The Food and Wine Festival – if it’s not too insanely crowded
3. Renting points and staying at a DVC hotel (Saratoga Springs- not our 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, etc. choice- but hey – it was available!)
4. Quite a few new restaurants
5. Using Uber
6. Staying offsite the first few nights
This report will center on the food- with probably some trip details thrown in. Our last trip included the kids- one of our daughters was doing the college program- so we got a great rate at an AOA suite. However, the deal would only let us do the CS Dining plan, and would not let us upgrade to the regular Dining plan. This turned out fine- we got to try a bunch of CS places that we really enjoyed. But this time, we have the regular dining plan, and will pay OOP for Signature meals, and F&W snacks, as well as whatever else we want! Here is the plan:
The Plan:
Arrival Day- Staying off site near the airport
Food Plan- Whatever we can find
Day 1: Plan: Check into Disney Springs Hotel- Epcot – Then Disney Springs – Then HS for fireworks
Lunch: F&W booths – New!
Dinner: Frontera Cocina- New! We have always wanted to try Rick Bayless’s restaurant in Chicago- but since we’ve never been to Chicago- we were really excited he opened one in Disney Springs.
Day 2: Plan: Epcot again – See Illuminations?
Lunch: F&W booths
Dinner: Le Cellier- a family favorite and my favorite restaurant in the world. The whole world. It has never let me down yet, fingers crossed.
Day 3: Plan: Check into Saratoga Springs – Dining Plan begins - Epcot again- too much? Maybe?
Lunch: F&W booths
Dinner: CS – Mexico if we are still at Epcot, maybe WPE
Day 4: Plan: AK Morning- Break – MK evening
Lunch: Flame Tree BBQ- also a CS favorite
Dinner – Crystal Palace- We can still hang out with Pooh- even with no kids!
Day 5: Plan: HS – Break – Fantasmic
Breakfast- cupcake from Starring Rolls
Lunch- Mama Melrose Fantasmic Package
Dinner- CS somewhere
Day 6: Plan: Epcot- (future world) – break – YC for dinner
Lunch – Coral Reef – New!
Dinner- Captain’s Grille- New!
Day 7: Plan: MK – Contemporary for Dinner (may not be a break here as MK closes at 4:30)
Breakfast – cinnamon roll from Gastons- New!
Lunch – BOG
Dinner- California Grill- New! My daughter highly recommends this place
Day 8: Plan: Fort Wilderness for Breakfast – MK to see anything we missed- Break – AKL for diner
Breakfast- Trail’s End- New!
Lunch- CS somewhere
Dinner- Boma- also an old favorite
Day 9: Plan: AK – Break - Kidani for dinner
Lunch – Yak & Yeti- New! I have always wanted to try this.
Dinner- Sanaa – New! My daughter highly recommends this place
Day 10: Departure Day