Breakfast, Brunch, and Sundries - Feb TR (the wrap-up)

[JustCor]

Welcome all!

I've just returned from an all too quick trip to Disney, and after a day of recovery and a day of work, it's time to fudge together a trip report.

So to cut out some of the redundant stuff and to cheat you into a little quick reading, here's the PTR for this trip. To quickly sum things up and bring everyone up to speed:

Me - Corey
Trip - February 25th - February 27th
Resort - Port Orleans Riverside
Agenda - Food based, naturally

All caught up? Excellent! Let's begin this little slice of adventure...​

 

[JustCor]

Princely Accommodations and Rustic Endeavors!

My trip started out in a very similar manner to all of my trips to Disney: load up the car, stop and get gas, grab some water and Gatorade for the room, and grab a snack for the road. It's all like clockwork now. The two hour drive up to Orlando went by fairly quickly with a phone loaded with music and some nice cool-ish weather to keep things from being muggy. I couldn't ask for much more. As I meandered closer to the House of Mouse, things started to get a little bit overcast. Then, dark. Then, finally, rainy. Yuck. Not exactly the weather I was hoping for to start this trip, but it couldn't bring me down. I was on my way to a nice bit of vacation.

The rain settled into a tolerable drizzle as I crossed under the archway and made my way to POR. Traffic was a little heavier than expected, but it was a fairly quick and uneventful shot to the resort entrance. The rain had let up to a barely noticeable misting by the time I walked into the main Lobby. It wouldn't rain again for the rest of the trip. I like this kind of weather!

It was busy. Much busier than I figured it should be. After all, it was late February and kids should be in school and parents should be at work. That's part of the reason I enjoy February trips so much. What I hadn't planned on, though, was the RunDisney event taking place that weekend. Woops! That little misstep would end up altering my plans a fair amount, but nothing terrible. But we'll get to all that later. Checking in was priority number one. After standing in line, I walked up to the desk and had the good luck of having my room be immediately available. It was just after 12:30, so I was mentally prepared to have to wait to get into the room until it was cleaned and ready, but no waiting would be needed. I made my way to my new temporary home: Alligator Bayou, building 15.

This past December I stayed at Coronado Springs Resort and was not impressed. My room was dirty and things kept not working. It really put a damper on that trip. As I walked up to the door to my room at POR, I was having flashbacks and feelings of dread. Was this room going to be the same worn down, dirty, busted room as the one at CSR? I crossed my fingers and opened the door.

Relief! Room had a rustic vibe to it, and (most importantly) was clean. Sure, the beds were a little on the worn-out side of their life, but I managed to sleep just fine in spite of that. No garbage. No stray hairs. No signs of neglect. POR would be a winner! With the apprehension fading, I unpacked my things and settled in for a nice little bit of relaxation. There were things to be done, but they could wait just a little bit.
​

 

[JustCor]

The World, the Kingdom, and the Hunger

With the room sorted, some unpacking finished, and a little bit of lazing about, it was time to get things underway. I had made Fast Passes for Magic Kingdom, but those times were for much later in the evening. Still, time spent at MK is never wasted, so I made my way to the South Depot bus stop to head to Magic Kingdom. Plans quickly changed when I reached the Depot. The line for people waiting for MK was pretty substantial. As much as I enjoy walking around MK, I loathe a crowded bus. I kept an eye out for the other buses to see which ones would be less crazy. I had just missed a near empty Animal Kingdom bus, but I was just in time to hop on a half full ride to Epcot. I can deal with Epcot. With a dinner reservation at Beach Club later in the evening, it would just be a matter of time before I would have to go there anyway. Onwards!

Epcot didn't seem very full, but was deceptive. There were a lot of people grouped together just kind of hanging around and not moving. It was full-ish. Without any kind of plan in place, I made my way towards Nemo. I know the Nemo ride isn't that great. It's kinda cheesy and it is essentially like a handful of other rides. Still, it has two things going for it: there's never a line and it ends at an aquarium. Those are two things I really enjoy. I weaved my way through the stationary groups of people who decided that clogging up the pathways was a fantastic idea. It was a little frustrating, but being a solo at Disney makes it much more manageable to zig zag through crowds without the fear of losing a partner in the crowd. Eventually I was standing in front of Nemo, ready to take a relaxing trip under the sea.

There was another large group of people clustered around the entrance, but they weren't exactly doing anything. Being outside meant they wouldn't be clogging up the line, so I made my way towards the entrance. The standby sign showed a wait time of 20 minutes, but that's never right. That's just the time it takes to wind your way through the empty queue. I know better than that.

I didn't know better than that. The normally empty queue was packed. There were people all the way out to the doors. I had to double check to make sure I didn't slip into a temporary coma and wind up wandering over to Soarin' instead. I could tell from the extremely underlit area that I was indeed waiting for Nemo. This was a first for me. I've never had to actually wait for this ride. Did they add something new? Finding Dory did come out semi-recently, so maybe they had updated things in the same manner as Star Tours. Or not.

The line moved fairly quickly and 25 minutes or so later I was staring at my underwater friends as they sang about the big blue world and waiting to disembark to the aquarium area. Again, there were people just kind of standing around in areas that didn't necessarily have anything of interest to look at. I was sensing a pattern but I couldn't figure out why the pattern existed.

Pictures taken and sea creatures seen, I made my way through the groups and back out to the big green world. I had seen enough of the ocean. It was time to tour the world. I made my way toward the World Showcase and hung a quick right. Now that I think about it, I don't think I've ever made that left to head towards Mexico first. I've always made the right and walked towards Canada to begin the tour. Maybe next time I'll go the other way.

Anyway, I poked through each of the countries, watching whatever shows happened to be going on and slipping into the shops on a mission to find something sweet. Nothing was standing out. There were plenty of bagged candies that I had eaten at some point, but none of it really stood out. There were some interesting looking candies and snacks in Japan, but it just wasn't calling out to me. In the end, I ended up at Karamell Kuche and walked out with some bacon caramel and a cookie of some kind that smelled absolutely amazing.

The bacon caramel was excellent! The salty, smokey flavor of the bacon fit perfectly with the sweet and rich flavor of the caramel and chocolate. I wish I had bought more than one piece, but I just wanted something small to get me through until dinner. The cookie, on the other hand, was a disappointment. While it smelled like a heavenly piece of baked amazingness, it was surprisingly lacking in any flavor. The cookie was dry and crumbly. I hate dry, crumbly cookies. I thought it would be soft and chewy, especially as it came right out of the oven not more than a few minutes before I bought it. The only thing that had any kind of flavor was the caramel drizzle on top, but if that's all I was looking to taste, I would have very happily bought another bacon caramel square and been super happy. Oh well, can't win them all. With that bit of disappointment fading, I finished making my lap around the world showcase and headed towards the ball. I had some Magic Kingdom fast passes coming up fairly quickly.

I wound up standing in line for Spaceship Earth. With a standby time of 20 minutes, it seemed like a good way to kill a few minutes. I've Spaceship Earth is becoming a favorite ride, not because of the boring trip through time, but the opportunity to take a photo that will be inserted into the pseudo-retro futuristic glimpse of your future. It's the perfect opportunity for an awful photo, and I think I got a pretty good one.

It wasn't until after the ride that I thought of an even better face to make, but that'll have to wait for next time. I do have a trip in September. I hope I remember for then. It was time to go to Magic Kingdom, and that's when I tried out something new. I had heard about the Express Transportation previously, but had totally spaced it out of my mind until I saw the Epcot kiosk for it. I was really curious about it. I know when I had initially read about it, it seemed like something that might be doable, so I wanted to find out the details. So, here's the details: $19/person for one day, $29/person for up to 7 days in a row. I was feeling spendy, so I purchased the multi-day setup. Consider me completely sold on the experience. Seriously. I could sit here and sing the praises of the program, but I'll instead touch on the things that really convinced me that I will now happily do this on every trip. First, leaving from and being dropped off inside the parks is amazing. Just being able to skip the annoying security checkpoints each time is worth every penny to me. Next, I don't think I was on a bus with more than five people at any point when I used it. No cramming into the aisles or holding on to a strap. Just walk on, pick a seat and be whisked away to a park. I'm a believer. I will also be a purchaser for every trip. Since I'm solo, it's a no brainer, but I can see how it would add up for a family. It could easily add a chunk of money for a family. For me, though, they may as well just add it to my ticket every time.

So, I hopped on the Express bus to Magic Kingdom, and promptly missed my first fast pass because I had misread my time. Oh well. It's MK. There's other rides. I made my way towards Haunted Mansion, another favorite ride, and ran into the first of many full lines. Standby times were showing at 70 minutes, so I passed. I had no desire to wait in any lines on this trip. Instead, I made my way towards Buzz Lightyear for a little Space Ranger Spin action. Standby time: 65 minutes. Again, no thank you. Maybe my Magic Kingdoming would be rideless. With two disappointing misses, I decided instead to walk around the park and meander through the stores. After dealing with more crowds, I decided to change my plans a little. I would eventually have to make my way towards Beach Club, so I went back to the Express Transportation and hopped on an empty bus to Hollywood Studios. After a peaceful ride, I did a little wandering around through the stores again and hopped on the boat to Beach Club to feed a ravenous appetite at Cape May Cafe.

​

 

[JustCor]

Happiness by the Plate

The 20 minute boat ride from DHS to The Boardwalk shaved about 20 minutes off of my wait time until my ADR for Cape May, but I still had a fair amount of time to waste. I could have departed the boat at the Beach Club dock, but I rode it across the water to The Boardwalk to walk around for a bit. It was almost a big mistake. My ADR wasn't until just after 8pm and I was just starving. With the exception of the delicious caramel square and half of a dry flavorless cookie, I hadn't had any actual food since a quick bite before heading to Disney. I walked past the restaurants and food stops with all of the wonderful scents of various foods wafting around. I could have easily stopped at the pizza window and ordered a whole pie and been more than happy to devour it right there on the Boardwalk. Instead, I held my ground and decided to just head on over to the Beach Club. Even if I was early, I would only be surrounded by the pleasantly clean scent of the lobby, instead of the barrage of foods.

I was right about being early. It was just about 7:30pm when I entered the lobby for Beach Club. I still had to find a way to burn off another 40 or so minutes until my dinner reservation. I peeked in the little shop for a few minutes and decided to just have a seat in the lobby and do some people watching.

Of all the things at Disney, this is what I want the most. I don't even know where I would buy a chair like this, but it was amazingly comfortable and just looks awesome. This is essentially how I killed off half an hour. I plopped down in this chair and had a hard time getting motivated to move afterwards. It was very comfortable. I was fighting off the urge to doze off as I sat.

I did manage to pick myself up to go outside and one of the brief fireworks displays at DHS. It was nice, if not a little on the short side. I was sort of hoping it would go on a little longer and nudge right up to my ADR, but not quite. I missed some of it just walking from the lobby out to the lagoon. Still, it was nice to see, even from a distance. It was still a bit early when the fireworks ended, but I went to check in at Cape May in hopes of getting in a little early. I still ended up waiting for my table to be ready, so for the last ten minutes, I went back to the chair and tried not to doze.

Finally, food time! I was really, really hungry. I didn't realize how hungry I was until the walk to my table that went right by all of the food. My mouth was just salivating almost uncontrollably. As the host explained the buffet and the special dish available (ribs), I had already planned out plates one and two. Were it not for needing to know where I was seated, I may have just broke away from the host and started piling food on a plate.

I took no pictures of my food. It was not a pretty sight. If you can imagine a plate filled with food just piled onto each other, you'd get an idea of the carnage. It was not a plate made for looking at in any way.

The highlights and lowlights:​

• The sliced meat was a winner, as always. I managed to get some really nice medium rare slices. The meat tasted amazing, as always, especially with the creamy horseradish sauce. I have to mentally note that there are other things at the buffet besides the meat, otherwise I could easily just fill up plate after plate and eat nothing else.​
• There was a far greater selection of bread than I remember from previous trips. I'm all for bread selection. Aside from meat, bread is one of my favorite foods to eat. I tried a bit of everything and loved it all. What I really loved was the honey butter they had to go with the breads (along with regular butter and a few other toppings). It tasted incredible and made good bread even better. I may have filled up a little too much on bread over the course of the dinner, but I'm struggling to call that a bad thing.​
• The ribs were ok. The meat was tender, but the sauce wasn't quite right. I thought I would tear through some ribs, but after the first plate, I had no real desire to eat them again. Pass.​
• Mashed potatoes, another favorite. I've mentally noted them in previous visits, and for good reason: they're tasty. I normally eat them without gravy, and did for two plates. On the third plate I tried the gravy as well, and it was excellent. I admit, I held off the first few times because the mashed potatoes were next to the ribs, and the sauce on the ribs was the exact same color as the gravy, and I wasn't sure if the gravy was actual gravy or more sauce for the ribs. Mental note: don't go on rib night.​
• The clam chowder was surprisingly bland. I would have thought it would be much better. Half a cup was all that was needed.​
• The peel and eat shrimp was well seasoned and tasty, but a bit messy. I think I would have had more if they were already peeled. Maybe that's what other people think too, and maybe that's why they're not peeled.​
• The desserts were excellent, as always. In addition to the little cakes and flan, there's now an extra table with cookies. I meant to go back to try some, but by the time I thought about the cookies, I was full to bursting.​

So, another excellent meal at Cape May. It was difficult to get a reservation for this trip, but the wait and the later ADR than usual paid off. I would happily go there again, and to be quite honest, I will probably end up there at least once on my next trip.

It was about 9:15 when I left Cape May. Epcot and DHS both closed at 9. I had a decision to make: Magic Kingdom, Disney Springs, or Room. I didn't quite want to head back to the room yet, not with the load of food in my belly. I went to the bus stop outside of Beach Club for the convenience and decided to let the bus decide where I was going. The Disney Springs bus arrived first, so my choice was made.

My stomach turned a little bit while on the bus. I had definitely had far too much food. Suddenly, the thought of walking around anywhere was incredibly unappealing. When the bus arrived at Disney Springs, I started making my way to the shops, but instead just followed the chorus of buses and immediately hopped on the bus to POR to wrap up the night with a big glass of water and some antacids. I'd call the day a complete success.​

 

[JustCor]

Good things come to those who wait (a lot)

This specific trip exists almost completely because I read a Brunch at the Top review done by @poison ivy. Until that review, I had very little inkling to the brunch offerings at some of the Disney restaurants and, to be quite honest, no desire to spend a big chunk of money on any meal, even a Disney meal. So, imagine my surprise when I found myself looking for open dates to book the Brunch after reading that review. So, after finding an available Sunday while searching back in early January, I had to build a trip around the ADR.

With my ADR day finally here, and a time of 11:05am, my excitement levels were just about bubbling over. I woke up at 6am, far before my alarm. I took a very long shower and prepared myself in the slowest possible manner. I took a few extra minutes to iron out my shirt and slacks so I wouldn't look like a schlub tourist, and then set everything on a hanger to get dressed at the last minute in order to not wrinkle everything up. Unfortunately, I had barely burned through an hour, so there was still time to kill. I ended up just watching random youtube videos and playing video games on my trusty 3DS (never leave home without it). At 9, I couldn't wait any longer. My plan was to wait until 10ish and hop the bus to MK and then either walk to Contemporary or take the Monorail. I'd figure that part out once I got to MK. Instead, I was raring to go, so I changed up plans. I figured I could take the early bus and then take my time hitting up the monorail resorts to kill some time until my Brunch. I was anxious to just go.

My restlessness proved to be a vital part of this day. I arrived at the South Depot bus stop at about 9:10, and it was PACKED. There were tons of people, and they were almost all looking to go to MK. In any other situation, I would have just gone on a less busy bus, but I had plans I couldn't break. I stood in the MK line and waited. And waited. At 9:30 the MK bus showed up, and things looked bleak. The bus was already pretty full. The line of people crammed on to every nook and cranny left on the bus. When it came time to board, there were no spots. The bus was full. There were only a small handful of people left with me who would miss this bus. It was only 9:30, so I figured that I could afford to wait for the next bus. Things were ok, but getting a little stressful. CMs with iPads were there handling the situation. Something was up with the buses, but I didn't know what it was yet. The Animal Kingdom bus was 20 minutes behind schedule. Hollywood Studios was half an hour behind. There was no Epcot bus. What the heck? That's when we found out: some of the roads were backed up or closed for the Princess Half Marathon. All buses were delayed. I thought about hopping into my car and just driving, but if the buses were delayed, chances are that the rest of traffic would be delayed too. I'd just wait.

It turned out not to be a very long wait. Not even two minutes after the packed Magic Kingdom bus departed, a long bendy bus came with the destination of Magic Kingdom, and it was almost empty. We all hopped on and found a seat and set off for Magic Kingdom.

9:40. Plenty of time. Brunch at 11:05. Really, plenty of time. Plenty.

Traffic on the far lane heading left out of Port Orleans was at a complete standstill. Nothing was moving. Luckily, our bus took a right, and things looked to be flowing. I breathed a sigh of relief, but that relief was short lived. We eventually caught up with our own non-moving traffic jam. We sat at a light waiting to take a left, but nobody moved. And for the next three light cycles, we remained in the same place.

My heart began to sank. I was going to miss my Brunch reservation. This was the one thing that I was really looking forward to.

I pulled out my phone and started catching up on news stories and consuming any bits and pieces of entertainment that I could ingest. Anything to pass the time without thinking about how late I would be. Maybe they would know what's going on and my ADR would still be secure, even if it was half an hour to an hour late. Time dragged on. I tried not to look at the clock, but the kids across from me were getting more and more miserable as the time passed and kept asking the parents what time it was. At 10:30 I could no longer distract myself. I looked at Google Maps to get an idea of how far we were from MK. It was just 3.5 miles away. I gave a brief thought to escaping from the bus and walking to the Contemporary. I'd possibly make it there in time, or maybe a few minutes late. I resigned myself to missing brunch.

Then, we started moving. Instead of ten feet rolls, we were actually moving and not stopping. Sure, it was maybe 10 to 15 miles an hour, but it was constant. I started doing the math in my head. If we just maintained 15 miles an hour, I'd still make it to the Contemporary at a reasonable time. We started to slow a bit, and my hopes were beginning to fade, but then we picked up speed. We were going a real deal 30 to 40 miles an hour! Things were looking good! We maintained that speed all the way to MK. At 10:51 we arrived at Magic Kingdom and I started a quick pace over to the Contemporary. I was determined to not be late.

At 11am, I stepped up to the hostess stand on the 2nd floor to check in for my 11:05 brunch. I had made it!​

 

[JustCor]

And now for the Main Attraction

I didn't quite know what to expect from the Brunch at the Top but from the moment I stepped up to the podium to check in, things seemed to be better than expected. The hostesses were very nice and immediately took me to the elevator to head up to the California Grill on the 15th floor. It was an interesting touch, akin to being allowed into an exclusive club. Instead of being hustled in to my seat to get the whole process moving and keep the wheel of customers turning, it was much more sedate. Once stepping out of the elevator, I was greeted with a cool mimosa and shown the bloody mary bar and the buffet area before being taken to my seat. I was greeted by my server and he went over how things worked during the brunch. Everything was so relaxed and sedate that the stress and frustration of the ride over had completely melted away. It felt like this meal was a good decision before even touching any food.

After just sitting for a moment, I made my way up to the small buffet of food and started assembling a first place, trying to grab a nice mix of food to try out without stuffing my face. I was trying to stay mindful that this wasn't a meal that needed to be rushed and that I had all the time in the world to just relax and enjoy the whole thing.

First plate:
The sliced meats and sausage bits were nice, if a little over salted. They were still a nice start to the meal. The California Roll was surprisingly good. California rolls are usually genericy in flavor with way too much cucumber, imitation crab, and either carrots or slimy avocado. This California Roll was none of that. It had a nice crab flavor, very little cucumber, and some fresh/not slimy avocado pieces. I expected so little from those pieces and was pleasantly surprised. The Spicy Tuna, on the other hand, was a let down. There was no spice. The red tinted sauce had no heat and almost no flavor. It was on the bland side. The deviled eggs were tasty, if not messy. I had a heck of a time trying to pick up the two I had off the tray without mutilating them. The flavor was nice, though I wouldn't end up eating any more for some reason. The bagel with cream cheese and smoked salmon was tasty. I'm a fan of lox on a bagel with a good shmear of cream cheese, so this was an easy winner. The best part of the plate, though, was the blue cheese pieces. I grabbed them almost as an afterthought while going over the meat tray. I ate them last, not expecting much, but they were creamy and tart and delicious, all in one little bite. It was so good!

Second plate:

I went back for more of the good stuff, winding up with a few more pieces of California Roll and blue cheese, and adding more cheese, some cheddar biscuits, and some greek yogurt with honey. As I was up there, one of the chefs was showing a little girl the foods that she would be able to have from the buffet line that would be ok for her allergies and telling her about the breakfast he would be making just for her. It was a sweet moment, and the chef was incredibly helpful to the little girl. It's just nice to see people being pleasant.

I stopped at the bloody mary bar on the way back and decided to try one. I've never had a bloody mary before, so I figured I'd give it a go. The hope is that the Disney version would be the ideal version of the drink. The bartender was super nice. He walked me through the process of selecting my alcohol (Belvedere Vodka), choosing my hot sauce (mild), and choosing the stuff to stick to the celery stalk (cheese, sausage, shrimp, bacon). Pricey, yes, but when in Rome, drink like the Romans, or some such thing. The presentation is definitely excellent. It's an attention grabber for sure, as people peer over to see what you have. Unfortunately, I found out that I really don't like bloody marys. I mananged to drink about half of it before just giving up. I was about four deep in Mimosas, so the I'd manage. It was during this plate that I decided to place my entree order. Ron, my waiter, had mentioned a few times before and during that it would take 15 to 20 minutes to make the entree. I was fine by this. I was in absolutely no hurry, so with the order in, I continued to pick away at the food on my plate and try to drink a little more of the bloody mary.

I chose the Eggs Benedict with Lobster and was not disappointed. The eggs were poached perfectly, breaking apart into a nice yolky mess. The lobster was cooked perfectly and tasted amazing, and the hollandaise sauce was spot on, tying the whole thing together. I was worried that it wouldn't be filling enough, but the dish was so rich and filling that I struggled to finish every last bite. It was easily the best thing I ate at Disney on this entire trip, and is almost enough reason to do the brunch again. It was fantastic! I was properly full by the end of this dish, and didn't know if I'd have room for anything else. So, I sat and sipped on another mimosa and enjoyed the scenery when dessert was brought out.

At some point I knew there was a dessert component to the meal, but by the time I had finished by Eggs Benedict, I had completely spaced it out of my mind. I wasn't even sure I'd have room to eat anything else, but I couldn't leave any of this on the plate, so I managed to force down all of it (such a hard life I lead). Of all of it, the chocolate and toffee thing was my favorite. It reminded me of a thicker Skor bar. The toffee was buttery and had a nice caramel flavor. Had I have been less packed full of food, I may have asked about possibly getting another sliver or three of it to eat and possibly take with me. It was just so good. Everything else was tasty as well, but of all the things on the plate, that's what I remember most.

The hardest part of the meal came next: the check. I was mentally bracing myself for this. The meal isn't cheap in any manner. At $80 + tax and tip plus $16 for the Bloody Mary, it's easily the most expensive meal I've ever had in my life. Even at such a high price, though, it didn't sting nearly as much as I thought it would. I left very satisfied. The food was excellent, the service was top notch, and it was an experience that isn't easy to find elsewhere. Would I do this every trip? Gosh no, but I'd more than happily do it again at some point in the future, and I'd look forward to it with as much anticipation as this time, if not more so. I've already gone through the different ways I would do the brunch for the next time, figuring out what I'd load up on more and what I'd skip, and contemplating which of the other entrees I would try. I don't know when I'll go again, but I know for a fact that there will be a repeat visit at some point. With this meal done, and done right, my trip would be a resounding success, regardless of anything else.

With a full stomach, I decided to head back to my room and take a little nap, content with the food I had and the wonderful experience that went along with it.​

 

[Disney_traveler]

So far sounds yummy! Too bad you didn't care for the Bloody Mary. They are one of my specialities....especially with Bakon vodka and a slim Jim instead of celery. Lol

 

[balty74]

We enjoyed the brunch last weekend, it was amazing!!! It was only my second Bloody Mary ever (I tried one first at the Urban Eats booth in Epcot to prep myself the day before, lol!!). I loved it, but I'll always be a Mimosa first kind of girl

Can't wait to hear more about your trip!

 

[JustCor]

Floating Downtown

My nap happened to last a little longer than planned. I figured I'd be out for an hour or two and then get up and hit up my 3pm fast passes at DHS before either heading to Epcot again to find a quick dinner, or maybe to MK for a bite. Imagine my surprise when I looked at my clock and saw the time just passing 6pm. Oops, that puts a slight damper on things. I might have missed my fast passes by a fair amount of time. Oh well, time for a new plan instead. I wasn't quite hungry, but I was starting to feel like I would be shortly, even after having that nice big brunch. So, I took a quick shower and decided to take the boat to Disney Springs.
I think that, of all the transportation, the boats are my favorite way to get around Disney. I've adjusted my plans just to find a way to add one of the boats to the travel plans. So, having a boat that at the resort that actually goes somewhere I'd like to go to is a huge bonus. With that in mind, I made my way to the dock behind the lobby of Port Orleans and loaded up on the boat to cruise down to Disney Springs for some window shopping and a bite to eat. I'd figure out other plans from there.

It's a very nice and peaceful ride past POFQ, and it's a resort that seems to have a lot of charm. I've tried to get a room there, but the rooms always seem to be taken when I finally decide to book. One day I'd like to check it out.

From the boat, at least, it looks like a fun place with the same beautiful grounds as POR, but in a smaller setting. That has a nice appeal to me. As much as I like POR, it covers a lot of area. On a previous stay it seemed like I was a hike away from anything, though I still was completely happy with that trip. Maybe POFQ would be more to my liking. That'll be decided on another trip. Until then, I just enjoyed the view from the boat as the sun set and we made our way towards Disney Springs. I do wish I took pictures of the Treehouse Villas as we passed. I've known about them but actually seeing them makes me really want to stay in one. I'm sure they're priced on the ridiculous side of the money spectrum, but they look really fun!

The boat pulled into the dock and we all unloaded. I had no real plan of action, so I just started making my way towards Earl of Sandwich. I wasn't sure if that's what I was going to eat, but it seemed like a decent place to start. As I headed in that general direction, I made a hard right and decided to walk towards the newly remodeled Planet Hollywood. I looked at potentially scoring a lucky ADR on the boat ride up, but it said that reservations needed to be made at least 24 hours in advance. That's interesting. I was still curious, so I walked up to the entrance and peered in. Unfortunately, the throngs of people turned me off of giving it a go. It was so loud just standing in the lobby area, and waiting for a long period of time was out of the question. That might be a place for another trip. I made a quick pace to the Wetzels Pretzels, grabbed a pretzel and a bottle of water and just started to walk aimlessly, taking in the sites and having salty bites of goodness while I popped in and out of random stores. Few things actually stand out at Disney Springs that I feel the urge to actually buy. I like what they've done with the whole area, and it's become a really nice place to walk around, but I never feel the urge to actually shop there, so my wallet and bank account remain pretty safe. The food options sure are nice though, and that pretzel wasn't going to hold the hunger away for very long. I started thinking of places to try out that I've looked at online and in reviews. One of the first that popped into mind was Blaze pizza. I wandered in a direction that seemed vaguely correct and finally found the restaurant. The line, though was out the door and past the building. Pass. D-Luxe burger was also on my list, but it seemed to be on everyone else's lists as well, with a line that rivaled that of Blaze. So, strike two. Finally, I passed by a nearly empty B.B. Wolf's Sausage Company. I do enjoy a good bratwurst or hot dog. A quick glance at the menu and I had made a decision: Footlong Bavarian Bratwurst. Along with a frozen strawberry lemonade, it seemed like the perfect dinner. It wasn't exactly what I was picturing. Instead of a ridiculously oversized looking feast, I got two spindly looking bratwurst that were a little larger in diameter than Slim Jims. The pending sense of potential victory from conquering a footlong bratwurst was immediately squashed by the anemic looking things sitting between a pretzel bun. To be fair, the taste of the brats was pretty good, as was the pretzel bread. I was expecting something a little more in line with a proper brat from Germany. I've lived in Germany, so perhaps my expectations were a little too high, but this was just not quite cutting it. I ended up finishing it, along with the strawberry lemonade, but I tossed the side of homemade pickles. They may be the best pickles in the world, but I'll never know. I loathe pickles.

While the brats were a little bit of a let down, they did the job. I was no longer hungry. So, I walked around some more, contemplating a dessert that would be fitting for the evening. While Ghirardelli is always tasty, it was actually getting pretty brisk outside. It didn't feel like an ice cream kind of night, especially after a frozen strawberry lemonade. I had tried Sprinkles on my last trip, but was really disappointed in how dry and bland my cupcake was. I was stumped. I was hoping inspiration would strike as I walked around the stores, but nothing really called out to me. At just past 9:30 I decided to just call it a night. I was closer to the buses than the boats, so I hopped on a near empty bus back to POR and hit the hay around an hour later. My time at Disney was quickly drawing to a close. All that was left was a breakfast ADR and the drive home.​

 

[JustCor]

So far sounds yummy! Too bad you didn't care for the Bloody Mary. They are one of my specialities....especially with Bakon vodka and a slim Jim instead of celery. Lol

I'm not sure what it was, but the mix of everything just didn't work for me. I gave it a healthy try, now I know for next time!

We enjoyed the brunch last weekend, it was amazing!!! It was only my second Bloody Mary ever (I tried one first at the Urban Eats booth in Epcot to prep myself the day before, lol!!). I loved it, but I'll always be a Mimosa first kind of girl

Can't wait to hear more about your trip!

It really was excellent! I thought I'd be alright waiting for a while before doing it again, but I've been thinking about figuring out a way to do it again at some point in the near future. I'm not sure when, or how, but I've got a few ideas on how I can make it happen. It was quite a wonderful experience! I've been thinking of giving the brunch at Narcoossee's a try as well, but the reviews don't seem as great as they were for the California Grill.

 

[Disney_traveler]

Is it bad that waiting for a chapter of this was like back in the day being a kid waiting for a book or movie to come out?

 

[JustCor]

A Wave Goodbye

I woke up a little earlier than my alarm again, but I had a few things to take care of. After a shower, I packed up all of my things and loaded up the car. I did a complete walkthrough of the room to make sure I had everything after the car was loaded. I may have left a charger or two in random hotels after trying to rush out in the past, so I figured an extra minute or two would save me a little frustration later. Luckily, everything seemed to have made it into my suitcase. I'd be driving home on this day, but not before one last bit of Disney stuff. I had an ADR for The Wave for breakfast and I was looking forward to it. Unlike the previous day, the roads were nice and clear, so the drive over to the Contemporary was quick and painless. Being in my own car is a nice bonus, as the music is always great, and I never have to stand up. There are definite perks to not using Disney transportation.

I arrived at The Contemporary fairly early, with about half an hour until my breakfast reservation, so I plopped down in one of the chairs in the lobby and did a bit of people watching to pass the time. The Contemporary is always strange to me. The lobby feels very claustrophobic. I think it's because the ceiling doesn't seem to be as high as other resorts, and it seems dimmer. The lobby decorations and the uniforms worn by the CMs give the whole check-in area an airport feel. It's a strange vibe, especially for a Disney resort. I would still like to stay at The Contemporary at least once, but it's more out of an almost morbid curiosity than an expectation of a good room.

With about five minutes to go until my ADR, I walked up to the hostess at The Wave and was immediately taken to my seat. I love this place! It was far busier than expected, but still not entirely full. There was a large group of marathon runners who were having their last breakfast together for the trip before they would head off to parts unknown. A few families filled the remaining tables. I had a nice table to myself. When the hostess sat me, they also put this at my table:

I've never had this happen in previous visits, but it was definitely a very nice touch that just made me that much happier to be there. I really do love The Wave, and it's things like this that cement that love. On to the food.

After the previous day's fantastic meal, I was still craving eggs benedict. Fortunately for my cravings, the buffet has their version of the dish available to eat. The sauce has a hint of key lime flavor to give it a little citrus zest. It's a different twist that I've really come to enjoy. I ended up having three plates of food from the buffet and each plate had at least one of the Eggs Benedict creations on it. I still crave them, even now. The scrambled eggs, sausage, and bacon are standard fare, I know some people hate them, but I've got a soft spot for them. The two other eggs on the left of the plate were new since my last visit. They were labeled as Deviled Eggs, but I've never seen them like this before. The eggs were hard boiled, cut in half, and topped with a weird cream that tasted kind of like a mix between ranch dressing, cream cheese, and maybe blue cheese or gorgonzola. Upon first sight, I thought I would be going back and loading up a plate with them, but the taste was a little off. It didn't exactly come together all that well. It tasted like two very distinct things that were just kind of randomly put together in hopes that they would kind of make something magical. Unfortunately, it didn't work out that way. It was a hard boiled egg. It was also a weird topping thing. It just didn't blend well. To go along with my breakfast, I decided on some hot tea. I haven't had a nice hot tea with breakfast in quite some time, so I chose the English Breakfast tea with a dash of milk and a few sugars. It definitely hit the spot. The second plate was essentially a repeat of the first, just without the deviled eggs and with a little more bacon. On the third plate, I went with eggs benedict and two little cups of greek yogurt. I wish I had room for more, but my stomach was filling up. I took a little lesson from the brunch the day before and slowed way down. Normally I would tear through the food and get as much food in as little time as possible. This time, I just took it easy. It was much more enjoyable that way. There's really not much more to add. The Wave was a homerun again. I had a little bit of concern that the experience of the brunch would ruin The Wave and that it would no longer be satisfying, but that concern quickly crumbled away. The Wave continues to have delicious food. I look forward to going back again on my next trip for breakfast and dinner.

The meal was a perfect capper to this trip. It was a delicious treat with a very nice Disney touch. The drive home had me dreading going back to work, but looking forward to planning the next Disney trip. Maybe I can add a few more things to my must do list for the next time around.​

 

[JustCor]

Wrapping things up with a fancy bow

It's been about two weeks since my trip, and I've been thinking a lot about the whole thing. It was a short trip, barely a long weekend in length. There were quite a few pros and very few cons on this trip:

The good:​

• Brunch at the Top was fantastic. I really enjoyed it. I had read quite a few glowing reviews, but the price scared me. It's a big splurge, no doubt. I was afraid that my enjoyment of the meal would be tempered by the thought that it just wasted money. Thankfully, that didn't happen. It's absolutely an experiences I would like to do again.​
• The Wave and Cape May were also great. I've been going back to The Wave fairly regularly on each trip, and I believe this was my third or fourth time at Cape May. I will be back to both. The Wave feels like home. It's an island of peace in a sea of Disney madness. It's the one place I feel completely confident about using an ADR for. Cape May has also been surprisingly consistent. Buffets are tough. They can become stale and dull. I used to love Boma for breakfast, but I stopped enjoying it because it seemed to either be losing quality or just becoming uninteresting. Cape May has continued to be very tasty on each trip. The selection may not be huge, but I could easily eat most of the items being offered. That alone is awesome.​
• Express Transportation is awesome. Yes, it's an additional cost, and it may not be worth it for a family. It's potentially a $100+ cost onto an already pricey vacation. If you're going to Disney solo, though, do yourself a favor and spend the $30 to cover up to 7 days. It is truly a game changer if you tend to do park hopping. It definitely makes park hopping considerably easier and less stressful. I have a 5 day trip in September and I'm keeping my fingers and toes crossed that they still have the Express Transportation available.​
• The grounds of Port Orleans are an experience in itself. They're beautiful and really add a bit of tranquility to the resort. It's a beautifully maintained bit of greenery.​

The not as good:​

• RunDisney events may be uplifting and wonderful for encouraging healthy behavior and such, but it brings everything else to a grinding halt. At no point in a Disney vacation should it ever take an hour and a half to go less than five miles. There has to be a better way to accommodate the runs without throwing everything into complete disarray. It was luck and my own personal paranoia about being late that I managed to make it to the Brunch at the Top I had reserved. It was only because I left super early that I made it there just barely on time. I can't imagine having booked one of the harder to get ADRs and watching that time slip away as we sat on a bus and went nowhere. How do you tell your kids that they're probably not going to be going to Ohana's or some Frozen thing because the bus just isn't moving? I have more patience than many, and that patience was pushed to the limit.​
• As nice as the grounds at Port Orleans are, the rooms are just starting to feel a bit dated. The rug in my room looked long overdue for replacement. The beds were some of the most uncomfortable I've been in. I had two in my room and ended up using both just to find the lesser of two evils. Like nearly every other Disney resort room I've stayed in, the outlets are almost completely worn out. Getting a plug to stay in a wall is one part balance, one part luck, and three parts magic. It's a bunch of small things that just continue to add up. I would almost expect it at an All-Stars resort, but the moderates are getting ratty. Compounding the problem is the cost. With the exception of my stay at Coronado Springs recently (which was just awful), I've been able to just accept the higher cost because of the benefit of being on Disney property. The convenience of the transportation and just letting my car sit for the trip duration had a definite value. Now that costs keep creeping up, though, and the quality of the rooms seems to creep down, I'm not sure I can see the appeal of staying on property anymore unless there's a good deal to be had on the room rate. For the cost of two nights at POR (or CSR, or CBR, or POFQ), I could get a nicer room a little bit away from the park. There's a bit of an inconvenience of having to take my own car to the parks, but I think that inconvenience is far less than having to deal with the degrading quality of the various transportation offered at Disney. I've done my best to choose dates for vacations that should be somewhat lower in crowd volume, but the buses still seem to be more and more full. Standing on a bus after a long day of Disney and hoping to get to the room with as few stops as possible just isn't fun. It's draining. It might be time to start really looking hard into other room options for future trips.​

Those are basically my two gripes for the trip. One is fixed, for me at least, by just paying closer attention to when different events take place at Disney and trying to avoid them at all costs. The other is deciding whether or not to trade one inconvenience for another in order to either save money or get a better quality room. Either way, it's a decision I'm not needing to make quite yet.

So, another trip in the books. I did far less park stuff than I had planned due to various reasons, but everything worked out quite nicely in the end. It ended up being a surprisingly relaxing trip. Perhaps it's time to do a No-Park Disney trip. I definitely look forward to the eating more than the rides or attractions. It may be a good option for an early summer getaway. In fact, an early summer trip at an offsite hotel that revolves around Disney Springs, The Boardwalk, and Resort food options might be just what I need to bridge the gap between now and my September trip. It's definitely something to think about.

Thank you all for following along. I hope that you enjoyed this rambling.​

 

[Trixie15]

Great report! Sounds like a very relaxing trip even though it had a few bumps. The brunch sounds divine but with a family of 6, I don't see it ever happening as a family. It would be a $500+ meal! If I ever go back solo, though - I would definitely consider it!

 

[missangelalexis]

Thanks for sharing! All your meals sounded great. The brunch at the top is definitely something I'd be interested in if I had the budget to splurge!