Eating ALL THE THINGS! 1/9 - 1/17

[Counting Stars]

Loving your report- you take some really good pictures. Epcot at night with no crowds- very nice!

 

[ElizaDoesDisney]

Hit up Toy Story and Slinky Dog with LL and then MF:SR twice via single rider line (walk on both times). Then checked into Oga’s for a pre-ROTR drink.

Jedi Mind Trick

 

[ElizaDoesDisney]

Did Rise and then Star Tours. Rise is the best thing ever. Pre-teen Eliza would have killed to experience it. I always wanted to be a Jedi, but member of the Resistance is almost as good.

Meant to get a Wookiee Cookie, but didn’t realize Backlot Express closed an hour before park so missed it. Ah. Next time. I’ll just go ahead and drink dessert. And probably stop at Wawa on the way back to the hotel.

I grabbed one of my signature Pink Drinks at Tune In Lounge. Vodka, soda, splash cranberry.

Perfect as always. I’m shocked it took me this long to order one, but Disney has such fun cocktails.

Rode Tower of Terror. My favorite ride here - until they built Rise at least. Grabbed a Kalua Tini from Joffries right before they closed.


Then shopped a bit before making my way into fantasmic. Didn’t want to get caught in the crush so got in line for a Strawberry Lemonade and then grabbed an aisle seat right before the show started (10 minutes late).

 

[ElizaDoesDisney]

Was lingering after Fantasmic to let crowds clear a bit and they brought around free popcorn. Free? In Disney? That’s some serious pixie dust. Still probably stopping for a Wawa sandwich. I’ve missed Wawa since leaving east coast.

 

[justinslot]

Whenever I am in Florida I try to get the (Florida exclusive) Cuban hoagie from Wawa at least once.

 

[GirlfromTN]

I’m solo at Disney for the next eight nights - staying off-site. My initial plan was to not make any reservations. But I failed and somehow this morphed into a foodie extravaganza. I have reservations for Morimoto omakase, Monsieur Paul, Takumi-tei, and Victoria and Alberts. #NoRegrets.

So I thought I’d document the meals here so I can remember them (and maybe other will find it useful too). The only way this will ever happen is if I keep it up to date as I go - so I’ll do my best.

Loving your report! lol that you didn’t intend to make reservations and ended up with the dream foodie trip itinerary.

 

[ElizaDoesDisney]

When I made the Takumi-Tei reservation I did not realize that it was opening day of Festival of the Arts. EPCOT is a zoo. If I hadn’t prepaid for GOTG and had non-cancellable reservations I probably would have bailed. I’m so glad I didn’t. In the end I lucked out and they RAN OUT of parking at EPCOT about five cars in front of me - so I ended up getting waved up to the Preferred lot. Closest I’ve ever parked.



Rode GOTG using ILL. Just as good the second time. I’m not sure the plot holds up - but who cares when the ride itself is that good. Then fought my way to Japan. Showed up about fifteen minutes early for the reservation (once I finally figured out where the restaurant actually is. They welcomed me in immediately.

I will say up front that the Japanese formal service was almost too much for me with servers bowing every time they approached the table or left the table. (I’m not much for that level of formality). But that’s a personal preference. The service was objectively without fault.

I was seated in the “paper room”. The atmosphere was fantastic. A true peaceful refuge - it was hard to believe that the madness of EPCOT was right outside the door. There was only one other couple seated in the paper room tonight and they were about halfway through their meal when I was seated. The room had four other tables that were empty the whole time - so I imagine the atmosphere could be very different if the restaurant was full.



The menu is set courses which I thought made it Kaisecki, but clearly I don’t know nearly enough about Japanese cuisine because they refer to it as Omakse and I’m trusting their superior knowledge.

 

[ElizaDoesDisney]

Started with a Kochi Cocktail

This was light and refreshing and a great start to the meal.

Then the Appetizer Course - Edomame, Crab Salad, Uni Shooter, Sauteed Spinach with Salmon Row, and Marinated Tofu

This was pretty good. The Uni Shooter was unlike anything I’ve ever had before - bonus points for creativity! The soft tofu marinated in soy was a miss for me which is weird because I actually love tofu, but the texture here just was not working for me.

 

[ElizaDoesDisney]

I had a glass of Chardonnay to accompany the seafood courses.


Sushi - From left to right: roll with tofu, egg, and shrimp; golden snapper; Japanese scallop; and eel.

All excellent. But I thought the balance of rice to wasabi to fish was a little off compared to Morimoto’s.

Tempura Lobster with yuzu salt and ponzu sauce.

This was one of the highlights of the meal for me. Crunchy, tender, succulent. I could eat this all night.

Sashimi - From left to right: Amberjack, Fatty Tuna, Sea Bream.

I’m a huge sashimi fan - so it was nice to have a dedicated course and get to try small bites of a few different things.

 

[ElizaDoesDisney]

A glass of Stags Leap Cabernet



A-5 Wagyu with Curry Roasted Potatoes, Roasted Mushrooms, Potato Purée, Black Miso Sauce, and Leek Sauce

I usually order meat medium rare, but given the fat content of Wagyu I though it needed more heat so went medium. It might even have needed done to medium well because it was a bit tough and chewy. It still tasted very good, but didn’t melt in the mouth like the Wagyu at Morimoto's.

Miso Soup

I’m not usually a big miso fan, but this was fabulous. A warm, comforting umami bomb.

 

[ElizaDoesDisney]

Tea ceremony with Matcha Tea.



For dessert I went with the Strawberry Yuzu Sorbet with Shiso Jelly

This was a perfect end to the meal. Light, refreshing, and great balance of tart/sweet. Much preferred this to the dessert course at Morimotos.

 

[justinslot]

Eliza, are these suggested pairings for Takumi-tei, or are you just ordering what you like to drink?

 

[ElizaDoesDisney]

The meal took a hair over two hours, so I was out in time to catch the end of the MK fireworks and stake out a spot to watch Harmonious. It’s COLD in Orlando right now. I ducked into a couple of bathrooms and open shops on the way out of EPCOT just to warm up a bit. It was 52 degrees and very windy on the way out. Brrr. And tomorrow's high is 54. I did not pack for this.

Still managed to grab some pics on the way out, but did not linger. Saw a lot of toques, sweatshirts, and blankets from Canada and Norway around. A banner day for cold country shops.

 

[ElizaDoesDisney]

Eliza, are these suggested pairings for Takumi-tei, or are you just ordering what you like to drink?

The menu listed a sake flight. And I think they probably would do customized sake pairings if requested. They had a pretty sizeable sake and japanese whiskey lists. I was in a wine mood, so decided to just choose my own adventure from their pretty limited wine list (1 sparkling, two whites, 3 or 4 reds).

 

[ElizaDoesDisney]

Following along. looking forward to reading more. I have gone several times solo but have never tried a signature restaurant by myself. You have given me the idea that it might not be too awkward .

I do a ton of solo travel, so I'm used to it. I pretty much always have my kindle with me - I don't always get much reading done, but as an introvert it's a great shield for overly outgoing nearby diners and chatty waitstaff.

That Trader Sam's drink does look good. When it first opened they had a limited menu and refused to make any substitutions and used a lot of orgeat, which I don't care for. Maybe that's relaxed now. I must be a curmudgeon too b/c I didn't love it. It's cute but a lot of the schtick got old for me quickly. By the tenth time they're shouting about shots of rum inside of 30 minutes it's borderline annoying. That gimlet at 71 has shot to the top of my must try list. LOVE that burger and the onion rings but agree that sharing is preferable. Not sure if you're going back to your resort to do your work but if you find any spots you think are good for logging in and getting a few hours of work done on property, please share.

I ordered off the menu, but I'm 99.5% sure that the couple next to me was chatting with the bartender about what they like and he made them customized drinks that were not on the menu.

I've been working from my resort the whole time. I did take my computer with me to AKL thinking maybe I'd do a bit of work from the rocking chairs overlooking the Savannah. Alas, they were all full and the lobby was packed when I was done with lunch so I just headed back. I don't think I'd personally be up for working from a park, but the tables in the Morocco pavillion would probably be my first choice if I needed to log in for a bit from a park.

Wow!! What a fantastic evening. More butter than potatoes is exactly how I like them. And the sweet potato puree may be the best thing you've EVER eaten??? I need to get a reservation here!!! Love all the empty pavilion photos.

Right? If you had asked me to guess the standout component from the menu before dinner, this wouldn't have made the top ten. And yet, it was fabulous - just the perfect bite both on its own and paired with the scallop. The table next to me was raving about the sea bass and I would like to try it next time, but then I wouldn't have the sweet potato puree and that would be sad. #FirstWorldProblems

 

[Jeepdisney]

I’m loving all of your food pics!

 

[ElizaDoesDisney]

Last night I was exhausted, but just couldn’t fall asleep. I decided to scrap my plans in favor of sleeping in and having an easy day. Especially given the very cold weather this was a good choice for me. I ended up sleeping until 11AM! Felt pretty great.

Finally left hotel around noon, but wasn’t sure where I was headed until I got in the car. I half meant to go to Disney Springs, but ended up at TTC. There were long lines at MK tap in and the boat was right there so I ended up over at Wilderness Lodge for lunch at Geyser Point. They had the screens down and heaters on so it was pretty pleasant with a nice view of the water.



Black Cherry Mule


Bison Burger

Very good burger. I would get this again.


Some duck friends visited the bar too.


Wilderness Lodge is one of the last Disney hotels I’ve never visited so I poked around the lobby a bit. Loved the Pacific Northwest lodge vibes. Might have to wander over for the daily architecture tour one of these trips.

 

[tigerlilly]

Truly loving your reviews. Thank you so much for taking the time to share. We are now considering Monsieur Paul for an upcoming trip in fall. Mormito and Takuma-Tei look equally lovely but I sadly have a severe shell fish allergy *much to the dismay of my shellfish/sushi/sashimi loving family lol.

Thank you again...looking forward to more

 

[ElizaDoesDisney]

It was cold today. Even bundled up. So I concentrated on inside slower rides - hit up Monsters Inc Laugh Floor, Carousel of Progress, Country Bear Jamboree, and Tiki Room before heading back to freshen up.

I had a terrifying Uber ride over to Grand Floridian. I’ve taken hundreds of Uber rides and I think this is the second time I’ve given less than five stars. But I made it. Safely. Somehow. Snuck into a single seat at Enchanted Rose bar for a pre dinner cocktail.

Island Rose - Ketel One Botanical Grapefruit and Rose, Lime, Orgeat (Almond), Pineapple, Bitters, and Rose Water



The drink is very good. And the space is nice. But, honestly, I miss Mizners Lounge.

 

[nw6675]

So okay- I probably shouldn't have read your latest at this time of night.... now I am hungry and nothing I have here at home will quite do the trick. Got to read these on a full stomach.... Great report though!

Same. I just ate a Little Debbie Peanut Butter Crunch bar and it just didn't have the same effect.

LOL