Keep Calm and Go to Disney! 10/21 - 11/4/14 COMPLETE

[OThopeful35]

CP breakfast looks amazing! We had a wonderful experience there back in 2011. The character interaction was awesome and the food was very good, hot and fresh. Thanks for sharing!

 

[goodeats]

Yeah, CMC looks a little lackluster. We have an ADR for our resort day before MNSSHP in October. Donald in a bathing suit is really cute though!

 

[TiggerDad3]

Breakfast has never been my favorite meal, and I would agree that the offerings at the other locations seemed to be more attractive... But, I will still say that the food looks very good at CMC and I would not hesitate to indulge! Thanks for sharing!

 

[MrsB1228]

Barb, I'm still back on page 17 but I wanted to post and tell you how much I'm enjoying your report and how sad I was to read about Linda's injury. What a terrible thing to happen at any time, but it always feels 100x worse when you're on vacation.

I'm so far behind on my Disboard subscriptions it's ridiculous. So much has happened in the past 6 months that's kept me busy elsewhere and now I'm trying to play catch up, LOL. I was planning to post a DR of our trip last October but now I'm thinking it's probably too late to start it.

I give you all kinds of credit for tackling the Party for the Senses on your own, you're much braver than I would be! It looks like you had an awesome time and got to try some really interesting dishes, those chocolates look divine! I was sorry to read our mutual favourite, Artist Point, kind of let you down with undercooked salmon. Thankfully the soup was still delicious and happy to see they've returned to the larger bowls.

Now I must get back to my reading ...

 

[Smiling Cheshire Cat]

I was behind by about 5 pages, but finally caught up.

First of all, congratulations on your daughter's new job! It's been several years since I've visited Austin, but I remember it was a great place to eat, especially barbecue.

Glad you enjoyed Citricos. I've only eaten there once and had a great meal but just haven't had the occasion to go back.

I agree with you about Cape May breakfast. It's just fine but not quite as good as some other character breakfasts. At least the pictures of you and the characters turned out great.

 

[jabead]

Wow the selections do look great! We are staying at the BC next trip, at least we are for now , so this may be an option if we want something right downstairs. We aren't staying CL this time, so again this could be something we try. However it is not as good as TH we may pass.

While I wouldn't say that Cape May is worth a special trip, I would definitely recommend giving it a try if you end up keeping your reservation at the Beach Club. The food is pretty good and photos of Alexander with the characters in their beach attire would be pretty darn cute!

We absolutely love Cape May for breakfast! Glad to see they still have the quinoa and oatmeal! We had a great time last year but i'm hoping this year will be great as well since I now must eat gluten free. Nut free was difficult enough but no nuts & gluten is going to be tough! I'm hoping they'll still have plenty of options

You know I recall seeing a whole section of gluten-free food at Tusker House but I don't remember an area like that at Cape May. I'm sure though that one of the chefs will let you know what you can and can't have. They seem to be very good about that at most, if not all the Disney World restaurants.

That fritatta looks scrumptious. I would love to have some of that quinoa and honey, too!

I can't believe it's already your last day!! Noooooo!

No worries. As soon as I complete this report I will start the next one from my trip last month.

Thanks for the Cape May Review. Strangely it may have been the first I've ever even seen. Looks like they have some pretty healthy choices too and love the characters outfits. Too bad it wasn't in the same league as CP or Tusker (my personal fav).

Sad its the last day, but hopefully we'll be eating all about your last trip soon.

I would be sad that this is coming to an end except that I have a whole other trip that I'm anxious to report on.

We used to eat at Cape May for breakfast when we had kids with us, and a few times without them. Except for a few items like the carving station, the fritatta and the asparagus, etc, it looks like CMC has many of the same items that they serve at the less expensive Captain's Grill breakfast buffet. Tusker House remains number one for breakfast buffets for us.

Funny you should mention Captain's Grille. It will be making an appearance in my next dining report.

Looks like a great meal at Cape Cafe. We haven't eaten there but may do it next trip with my sisters along. Looks like it was a good time.

While Cape May is good, for me both Crystal Palace and Tusker House are better for character breakfast buffets. Sometime I want to try Chef Mickey's and 1900 Park Fare again to see how they compare. I haven't been to either of them in several years.

CP breakfast looks amazing! We had a wonderful experience there back in 2011. The character interaction was awesome and the food was very good, hot and fresh. Thanks for sharing!

Not sure if you meant Crystal Palace or Cape May but either are good choices. For me though, Crystal Palace is better because of the made-to-order omelets and puffed french toast.

Yeah, CMC looks a little lackluster. We have an ADR for our resort day before MNSSHP in October. Donald in a bathing suit is really cute though!

Oh, if you are staying at the Yacht & Beach Club then it's definitely a great option for a good breakfast with the characters!

Breakfast has never been my favorite meal, and I would agree that the offerings at the other locations seemed to be more attractive... But, I will still say that the food looks very good at CMC and I would not hesitate to indulge! Thanks for sharing!

My kids aren't really fans of breakfast either but I did manage to get them to go with me to breakfast on 4 out of the 9 days of our trip last month. I thought that was quite an accomplishment.

Barb, I'm still back on page 17 but I wanted to post and tell you how much I'm enjoying your report and how sad I was to read about Linda's injury. What a terrible thing to happen at any time, but it always feels 100x worse when you're on vacation.

I'm so far behind on my Disboard subscriptions it's ridiculous. So much has happened in the past 6 months that's kept me busy elsewhere and now I'm trying to play catch up, LOL. I was planning to post a DR of our trip last October but now I'm thinking it's probably too late to start it.

I give you all kinds of credit for tackling the Party for the Senses on your own, you're much braver than I would be! It looks like you had an awesome time and got to try some really interesting dishes, those chocolates look divine! I was sorry to read our mutual favourite, Artist Point, kind of let you down with undercooked salmon. Thankfully the soup was still delicious and happy to see they've returned to the larger bowls.

Now I must get back to my reading ...

Welcome back Carol! It's good to have you back. Sadly it's true that Artist Point did let me down a bit this time. But I'll be back again I'm sure, as I've had far more great meals there than not so great.

I was behind by about 5 pages, but finally caught up.

First of all, congratulations on your daughter's new job! It's been several years since I've visited Austin, but I remember it was a great place to eat, especially barbecue.

Glad you enjoyed Citricos. I've only eaten there once and had a great meal but just haven't had the occasion to go back.

I agree with you about Cape May breakfast. It's just fine but not quite as good as some other character breakfasts. At least the pictures of you and the characters turned out great.

Hi Rachel! Welcome back. How was your trip?

 

[jabead]

Following my breakfast at the Beach Club, I made the short walk to the International Gateway and entered World Showcase before its official opening time of 11:00. However, I only got as far as France before being stopped at the ropes in front of Les Chefs de France. There were two castmembers manning the ropes and a dozen or so other park guests standing there waiting for them to lower them. Why were we all there anxiously awaiting the rope drop? The answer: Wrist bands for reserved seats at one of the Eat to the Beat concerts that night! A limited number of wrist bands were being given out at the Chase lounge and I had learned from an attempt earlier in my trip that these go fast. So once the ropes were removed at 11:00 I took off fast-walking (some ran) toward the Chase lounge, which was located on the third floor of the American pavilion. The entrance to go up to the lounge was located between the Liberty Inn restaurant and the door where you enter to see the American Adventure movie. Before allowing you to enter you had to show your Chase credit card (btw, it doesn't have to be the Disney Chase card) to the castmember at the door and then if they were not yet at capacity you were able to either walk up the stairs or take the elevator up to the lounge.




Once reaching the lounge, I got into the short line for the free wristbands. You were given a choice of three show times (I opted for the first show at 5:30). I also got another wristband for the Chase reserved area for Illuminations viewing for that night. I was told that this area was located out by the water in the Italy area. After securing my wristbands I then went to the other room to get my complimentary beverage from the Coca Cola Freestyle machine. Once I had my cherry-vanilla coke, I went to the room filled with tables and chairs and at least one very comfy couch (which I had tried out on a previous visit to the lounge) ...














In addition to the television there were also video games...





This time I chose a table by the window which had a lovely view...












Even without the wristband giveaway (which were only available on certain days of the week, which I can't recall the schedule but this was a Monday and both the concert and Illuminations ones were being given out), I found the lounge to be an awesome perk for Chase credit card customers. This happened to be a cooler day, but on other days that I visited the lounge it was warm so the air-conditioned break with a free cold beverage was quite welcomed at the half-way point when I was touring World Showcase. Hopefully Chase will offer this during the festival this year and every year thereafter.


And I'll go ahead and post this out of chronological order, as I didn't attend the concert until 5:30 that day...





This was the last of the many Eat to the Beat concerts which I attended during my two week trip and was one of the best. The Chase reserved seating was on the left side of the American Gardens Theater and pretty close to the stage. If I remember correctly only those who had purchased the dining package were seated in front of us. The Boys were very entertaining and interacted with the audience quite a bit. This made for an enjoyable concert and was a good way to spend the final night of my trip. ​

Next up: A Visit to Karamell Kuche

 

[rteetz]

I've heard a lot about the chase lounge and it looks like you had a great time there and at the concert.

 

[Wood Nymph]

We've been tempted to stop in the Chase lounge, just to see what it looks like. I would think that it would get very crowded in the evenings.

We absolutely love Cape May for breakfast! Glad to see they still have the quinoa and oatmeal! We had a great time last year but i'm hoping this year will be great as well since I now must eat gluten free. Nut free was difficult enough but no nuts & gluten is going to be tough! I'm hoping they'll still have plenty of options

They will bring you gluten free Mickey waffles or gluten free toast if you ask for it. Just like all of the Disney restaurants, they will serve gluten free foods for you if you ask for them.

 

[Nohal]

Is the Chase Lounge only opened during F&W?

 

[Adgie128]

Following along! I'm so glad you'll be doing another report for your recent trip with your kids. I'm looking forward to seeing what ended up making the cut and which meals were the favorites of your group. Thanks for all the IG posts, too. It's a nice daily dose of Disney dining on social media, indeed!

 

[vettegirl]

I love the chase lounge perk!! We always go in for a drink and a rest. I will have to get a wristband if we can next trip

 

[chocolateMinnie]

Just caught up what amazing pictures and lovely reviews. I've missed your live thread but it seems like you've done a pretty good job of eating enough for a dozen of us

Thanks so much for posting. It's been amazing. :

 

[ursalita]

Hi Barb. Just catching up. Your meal at Citrico's looks amazing. Thanks for sharing all those dessert photos.

The Cape May breakfast spread is interesting. After staying at YC I want to try it. Too bad I didn't think to try it when we stayed there.

I love learning new things on the DIS. I had no idea this Chase lounge existed.

 

[kastoney]

I had absolutely no idea they lounge gave away special seats for the concerts of illuminations. I just thought it was a place to cool down and have a soda. I learn so much from you oh yoda ; )

 

[jabead]

I've heard a lot about the chase lounge and it looks like you had a great time there and at the concert.

It was nice way to spend time on the last day of my trip!

We've been tempted to stop in the Chase lounge, just to see what it looks like. I would think that it would get very crowded in the evenings.


They will bring you gluten free Mickey waffles or gluten free toast if you ask for it. Just like all of the Disney restaurants, they will serve gluten free foods for you if you ask for them.

Great advice Sue! I hadn't even thought about asking for GF items, but I'm sure you are correct that they would be very accommodating.

Is the Chase Lounge only opened during F&W?

Yes, only during the Food & Wine Festival.

Following along! I'm so glad you'll be doing another report for your recent trip with your kids. I'm looking forward to seeing what ended up making the cut and which meals were the favorites of your group. Thanks for all the IG posts, too. It's a nice daily dose of Disney dining on social media, indeed!

Thanks for following along, both here and on Instagram. My next dining report should be "interesting". My kids made a few surprise restaurant choices, plus you will get four opinions for the price of one.

I love the chase lounge perk!! We always go in for a drink and a rest. I will have to get a wristband if we can next trip

I wish I could remember which days that the concert and Illuminations wristbands were available. But then again, it could be completely different this year than last. I would be sure to ask though whenever you do visit the lounge.

Just caught up what amazing pictures and lovely reviews. I've missed your live thread but it seems like you've done a pretty good job of eating enough for a dozen of us

Thanks so much for posting. It's been amazing. :

I did my best! Good to hear from another former live reporter. Thanks for reading!

Hi Barb. Just catching up. Your meal at Citrico's looks amazing. Thanks for sharing all those dessert photos.

The Cape May breakfast spread is interesting. After staying at YC I want to try it. Too bad I didn't think to try it when we stayed there.

I love learning new things on the DIS. I had no idea this Chase lounge existed.

The DIS is great! I've been a member for almost 15 years now and I'm still constantly learning new things.

I had absolutely no idea they lounge gave away special seats for the concerts of illuminations. I just thought it was a place to cool down and have a soda. I learn so much from you oh yoda ; )

Yes, young padawan, Yoda am I.

 

[jabead]

Before heading to the Festival Center for a 1:00 Culinary Demonstration, I made my traditional last day of trip visit to Germany's Karamell Kuche...






I'll let the photos speak for themselves...























































Something I don't recall seeing before, a Chocolate and Caramel-covered S'more...





I decided to try something new for my treat to have that night, the Chocolate-Caramel Brownie...




I was surprised to find that this was a bit dried out when I ate it for dessert that night. Sadly, I would have to say that this looked better than it tasted.



Then I bought all my usual take home treats for my family and for myself...




I love these Caramel Rolls with Marshmallow Cream!




My whole family loves the Chocolate Caramels with Sea Salt...some prefer the Dark Chocolate ones, others (including me) are Milk Chocolate fans!



And of course I got a large bag of Caramel Corn for us to share...





At $3.99 each for chocolates and caramel rolls and $5.99 for the large bag of caramel corn, this is becoming a rather expensive habit but one that I've been unable to break. (Yes, I purchased these same delicious treats on the last day of my May trip.) But at least they are still giving a 10% discount to Annual Passholders at Karamell Kuche. So basically you buy 8 chocolates or caramels and a large popcorn and you get one free. Oops, did I just admit to buying 8 pieces of candy?? ​

Next up: Culinary Demonstration by Ken Vedrinski

 

[eeyore45]

I've been lurking, and enjoying your reports (and imagining 'what if I did this?")

then you write your dd gets a job in Austin?

My son is packing to go to a job interview in Austin!

 

[Wood Nymph]

I decided to try something new for my treat to have that night, the Chocolate-Caramel Brownie...
I was surprised to find that this was a bit dried out when I ate it for dessert that night. Sadly, I would have to say that this looked better than it tasted.

We bought one of those brownies and it was dried out and rather tasteless.

10% discount to Annual Passholders at Karamell Kuche

That's good to hear about the AP discount. I usually think of it only for merchandise.

 

[FBandA]

Barb how do we find you on Instagram. Would love to see all your Instagraming?