~First we eat, then we do everything else!~ Oct/Nov Dining Report *GOING LIVE 10/31*

[TinkerBelle_325]

INTRODUCTION​

"First we eat, then we do everything else!" - M.F.K. Fisher​

Hi All! And welcome to the Fall 2014 edition of ~First we eat, then we do everything else~. This will be our 7th visit to the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival and we can't wait! We skipped the festival in 2013, so it has been 2 years since we've sampled the delicious tastes and treats of the Marketplace Booths.

We are particularly excited for this trip because we will be attending Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party on Friday, October 31st AND Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party on Friday, November 7th! Halloween and Christmas in one trip? Yes please!

Not sure about all of you but when it comes to planning a WDW vacation the very first thing my family sets in order is where we want to eat and when. I know some people look at crowd calendars and others review park hours, but we go by dining reservations.

Example: Is Via Napoli available at 7 that night?....No?....Oh well that is going to throw off the entire schedule!

For me, a WDW itinerary is like a giant game of culinary tetris

For those interested, you can follow me on Twitter @thedisneyfoodie, Instagram wdwdestination and my blog The WDW Destination Blog to watch for live updates from the parks

WHO?

Myself

I'm Megan and I am 29 years old. I completed a 16 month Master of Business Administration program in October 2013. It was one of the most challenging and rewarding things I have ever done. I was fortunate enough to land a dream job in December 2013, as a Marketing & Communication Specialist at one of the largest accounting firms in the world. I love my job but the past month has been a stressful emotional roller coaster. To say I am desperate for a vacation is an understatement. I have been to WDW more times than I can count.

I am a foodie at heart and have been taking pictures of food for years (well before Instagram made it cool ). I will admit that I am a Disney Commando, but I have started to appreciate the more laid back aspects of a vacation. For example: On vacation I love trashy magazines (Us Weekly, People, Star etc.), reading my Nook by the pool, afternoon naps (which are so much better at Disney for some reason), and simply taking pictures and enjoying the background music at the parks.

My favorite parks are the Magic Kingdom and Epcot. It is very hard for me to name "a" favorite ride because I love so many! My top 10 are Splash Mountain, Pirates of the Caribbean, The Haunted Mansion, Under the Sea, TTA, Spaceship Earth, Soarin, Tower of Terror, Star Tours and Kilimanjaro Safaris.

DMom

DMom works for her father's family business. She also works with my DDad. So basically she is one of the busiest and most efficient people I know. She could organize any room, any time. She loves WDW because it is the place where most of our best family memories have been made. Her only criteria for this trip? A resort with a balcony and a great pool. Done

DDad

DDad works in financial services. He loves WDW just as much as me but he hides it better LOL. He also loves challenging me with obtaining impossible dining reservations. In fact....in a previous dining review I wrote this: "NOTE TO DDAD: California Grill is CLOSED. So there really is no way I can get us that reservation this time." And guess what.....NOW THE CALIFORNIA GRILL WILL BE OPEN SEPT 9TH....ugh I am *never* going to hear the end of it. I swear he has some psychic dining reservation power He would be content to only visit MK once and spend some evenings at Epcot, but he visits the parks a bit more often than that for me

WHAT?

As always, this trip is special (aren't they all? ). We decided that we don't need tons of Christmas presents under the tree this year. Instead, we would rather have a fantastic family vacation to our favorite destination that combined all our favorite things. The criteria? Food & Wine, MNSSHP & MVMCP. Sounds like the perfect trip to me...fall & Christmas decorations, two parties, food & wine AND some awesome signature dining too.

WHERE?

Well, our first choice was Disney's Coronado Springs...but we discovered that it is completely sold out during our dates! We stayed at Animal Kingdom Lodge in December 2012 and fell head over heels in love. So it was an easy choice....back to AKL we go! We've booked a pool view room with a great ORBITZ deal.

WHEN?

October 31st - November 9th

TABLE OF CONTENTS: PRE-TRIP

TABLE OF CONTENTS: **LIVE** TRIP REPORT
Friday, October 31st
BREAKFAST: Maple Leaf Lounge @ Toronto Airport
LUNCH: The Mara
DINNER: Liberty Tree Tavern
Saturday, November 1st
BREAKFAST: Boma
LUNCH: Garden View Tea (Mom & Meg)/AKL Room Service (Dad)
DINNER: Jiko
Sunday, November 2nd
BREAKFAST: In room
LUNCH: Columbia Harbour House
DINNER: Spice Road Table/F&W Booths
Monday, November 3rd
BREAKFAST: Sunshine Seasons
LUNCH: Teppan Edo/F&W Booths
DINNER: F&W Booths
Tuesday, November 4th
BREAKFAST: Starring Rolls
LUNCH: 50s Primetime (Meg)/ESPN Club (Mom & Dad)
DINNER: Via Napoli/F&W Booths
Wednesday, November 5th
BREAKFAST: Sunshine Seasons
LUNCH: Les Chefs de France/F&W Booths
DINNER: Monsieur Paul
Thursday, November 6th
BREAKFAST: Main Street Starbucks
LUNCH: Sanaa
DINNER: Tutto Gusto/F&W Booths
Friday, November 7th
BREAKFAST: In room
LUNCH: Flame Tree BBQ
DINNER: California Grill
Saturday, November 8th
BREAKFAST: In room
LUNCH: Liberty Tree Tavern
DINNER: Chefs de France/F&W Booths
Sunday, November 9th
BREAKFAST: The Mara
LUNCH: Cracker Barrel
DINNER: Orlando Airport
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