How Do I Love Thee, WDW...COMPLETE- 3/8/2018-Post 157&158-So Long, Farewell, Sanaasee You Later!

Wow, what an amazing breakfast. I vaguely recall reading about someone else doing this a few years back but I'd forgotten how wonderful it looked. You really make me want to tell everyone I know to do it :P Seriously though, if we are ever down there at the same time as the French Breakfast that is definitely in my future. Question for you, were there any kids there? I've never been sure on bringing kids to these events so we've just never done them

To tell you the truth, I can't recall if there were any kids there. I don't see why they wouldn't be allowed though. Just no mimosas for them, lol!
 
Day 9 Sunday November 6, 2016- A day of many firsts at WDW!

Happy Sunday DIS friends!!! It's a gorgeous morning here in sunny Southern NJ, and the high today is going to be 53! Yippee!!! I'm so over those frigid temps we had over the last several weeks. So I left you with a cliffhanger on my last DR intallment. I met a DIS friend in person at WDW on this trip, and she has turned out to be a dear friend. Sadly we live very far apart, so I haven't been able to see her since this trip, but we do keep in contact via FB messenger. She's going back to WDW this upcoming October, so I'm hoping to be able to squeeze in a trip while she's there. Say hi, everyone, to my sweet friend, DeeDee, otherwise known here on the DIS as @Jerusalem Gal!

Me, Harry & Dee
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Can you guess where we are from this pic? I titled this report a day of many firsts, and it was. Harry ran his first 1/2 marathon ever, which was also his first Run Disney race, it's the first time I ever had a meal at the California Grill with a DISer, and it was our first time ever for the Sunday Brunch, and hopefully it won't be the last. It was a wonderful day!

Harry had to get up super early, around 3am, to catch the bus to take him to the 1/2 marathon starting point location. I know there was an area at the end of the race for family & friends to meet up with their particular runners, and I thought about getting up with him, and then meeting him after the race, for about a half second. Yea, not doing that. So I think I mumbled something like see ya & good luck as he quietly left the room to meet up with the other crazy, I mean dedicated, people getting ready to run a race that was to start around 5am ish. The plan was I would hang out at the resort until he got back, then we'd head over to meet DeeDee at the California Grill. When we discovered we both had reservations for Sunday Brunch this day we tried to get a reservation together, as her reservation was about 30 minutes before ours, or maybe it was 30 minutes later, can't remember at this point, lol, but we weren't able to. So we decided to all arrive at the earlier time and see if they would seat us together, which they did!

I was really proud of Harry for running this marathon. He trained for it for a while, joining a gym that had an indoor track, and he went faithfully to run and work out, for about six months prior to the race. He's done a few 5Ks since then, but our life is so busy that it's hard to keep a consistent running schedule. We went to WDW this past fall for my birthday, which is in September, so he missed the Wine & Dine Half, but will be running in the Star Wars Dark Side Half this April. More power to him. He's actually out running right now. I'm exercising my fingers typing my report! I'm happy to say we'll be doing the Sunday Brunch after this upcoming race too!

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Because he refused to stop along the race and get his photo taken with any of the characters, so as not to slow down his time, this is the only pic we have, lol, a selfie he took with his medal to send to me when he finished. Not his best look, but that medal looks HUGE! It's really not that big, trust me. ;):laughing::blush:
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After he got back to POFQ and got cleaned up, we hopped the bus to the MK, and then took the monorail to the Contemporary. I was so excited!!! I'd been reading a few reviews about this brunch and looking at some pics online, and I think I was most excited about the Bloody Mary bar, other than meeting Dee, than anything else. I love Bloody Mary's.

After meeting up with Dee and taking the elevator upstairs, we were greeted by the lovely Sarah, who helped me make my drink. I think you got to pick five garnishes if I'm not mistaken.
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Here is my masterpiece! Oh my gosh, so so good. I want one right now!
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I had mine made with Absolut Peppar Vodka, and of course it had to have a peppery spicy rim. I love love love pepper!
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Bloody Mary Bar! It was so hard to choose.
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Look at this view! Looks like someone finished their Mimosa already.
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Charcuterie anyone? Yes, please.
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I started with this plate. Everything was amazing!
Deviled Lake Meadow Farms Eggs - with crispy lardons, spiced aioli
Baby iceberg wedge - with marinated tomatoes, cherrywood bacon, avocado-buttermilk ranch dressing
Kale and apple salad - with dried cranberries, pink pearl apples, marcona almonds, apple vinaigrette
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Then I moved on to sushi. I could eat sushi all day, every day. This was exceptional.
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Harry's entree, I think.
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My entree, made gluten free.
Poached Lobster Benedict - with Butter-Poached Tail, Two Soft-Poached Eggs, Honey Ham, Yuzu Hollandaise, Marble Potato Hash. Additionally available as regular Eggs Benedict or with Smoked Salmon
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I'm not sure who's this was, maybe Harry's, but it looks good. I don't remember photographing Dee's.
Grilled Hanger Steak - Two Eggs Any Style, Chimichurri, Marble Potato Hash and Charred Red Onion
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We were too full for dessert, so they boxed them up for us!
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The California Grill is such a beautiful restaurant. I loved this brunch and can't wait to do it again. It is very pricey, but worth the experience to do it every few years. The brunch is $80 per person, but we had $32 taken off for our 20% Tables in Wonderland discount. With tip and tax, the total was $169.12. Looking at my receipt now, I notice I was never charged for the Bloody Mary. Hmm. I'm almost positive they were an extra charge.
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After spending a few hours eating and talking, Harry, Dee & I went our separate ways, hopefully to meet again in the near future. Dee lives in Jerusalem, Israel, and I'd love to visit her there some day. I started to get a really bad sore throat, so we decided to just head back to POFQ for the rest of the day, and relax. I stopped at Jackson Square, the gift shop, and bought some Halls throat lozenges and Vick's VapoRub (that stuff is magical), and later on we ate dinner at the temporary food court location. Harry had this yummy looking, cheesy meatball sandwich, which I don't see on the menu anymore. That's a shame.
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I had another baked potato with bacon and cheese (I told you I love baked potatoes!), and some gumbo. I just looked at the menu on All Ears, and they don't have any more baked potatoes at Sassagoula either! What the heck!!!
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Of course, I can never eat at POFQ without getting these amazing gluten free beignets, with a side of chocolate dipping sauce! That's heaven right there! These three beignets were $3.29 at the time, and now they're $3.99 for three. That's a pretty big price hike in a little over a year. The chocolate dipping sauce remains the same at $1.99.
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Up next: Tomorrow I get to wear my red & green sparkly Mickey ears! Going to MVMCP!
 
Part 1- Day 10, Monday, November 7th, 2016- Disney Springs & we're going to another party!!!

The plan for today was to take it easy, as we had MVMCP scheduled for tonight, and I really wanted to make it through the whole party. In the past, it seemed like I always got tired & frustrated at the Halloween & Christmas parties, probably because I just didn't plan properly, and went in with unrealistic expectations. We usually ate dinner in the MK right before the party started, at LTT, which would then cut into some of the party time, and then the crowds would get to me during the party. I still have visions of E-ticket nights from around 12 years ago, where you paid about $10 for a ticket, and got to enjoy the MK for three hours after park closing. It was only for resort guests, and since you had to pay, even though very reasonable, it was never overly crowded and you could get on everything very quickly over and over. It was like having the park to yourselves sometimes. Now, since late EMH are free, I feel like they are so jam packed they're not even worth doing. Anyway, I digress. For this party I was determined I was staying for the entire party, and I was going to be calm, cool, and enjoy it all. One of the decisions I made was to not have a table service meal before the party. I sort of miss it though. To me it was part of our tradition. I don't know. I'll have to think about it for next time.

We headed over to Disney Springs from our resort, POFQ, via boat around 10am. I really love this boat ride. It's so pretty & so peaceful in the morning.
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There are the tree house villas on the left!
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Have any of you ever stayed in one? We have, just once though, back in May 2010. Wow, I can't believe almost 8 years have gone by. My brother & SIL own a DVC at SSR, so we were with them on that trip. It was so much fun. The tree houses are amazing, and if you ever have a large group, they're a great place to stay! It brings back happy & sad memories though, as my nephew, Dom, was on that trip with us, having driven up from Miami where he went to college at the University of Miami. Dom is my nephew who had the tragic car accident almost two years ago, on March 24, 2016, and has been in pretty much a vegetative state living in a care facility ever since then. :sad2: :sad1: :sad: I miss him so much. I mean, we see him frequently, but I miss my Dom, the pre-accident Dom. It's been so hard to accept that that Dom is gone, and this is who he is now. I'll never stop praying for a miracle. You can read about his story by clicking on the link in my signature if you'd like.

Isn't Dom a cutie? This pic was taken on our WDW May 2010 trip. This is Harry, my brother Nick who is Dom's dad, & Dom. Never take one day for granted, as life can change in a moment.
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This is Dom now. Still as handsome as ever, but unreachable.
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Sorry for the interruption, but I just wanted to talk about Dom for a minute. He was so much a part of our lives, and our Disney trips, and it's heartbreaking that nothing will ever be the same, ever again. My brother & SIL haven't been back to WDW since the accident, although they are still hanging on to their DVC. My brother says he will never go again, without Dom. I think my brother doesn't want to sell it because he is hoping in his heart that one day Dom will be able to go back to WDW again. Okay, back to the DR.

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We lucked out with a gorgeous day for our MVMCP! Isn't that always a big fear? Paying so much money for these party tickets, with the possibility of it raining the entire night always in the back of your mind.
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And there's the walkway up ahead, from Saratoga Springs Resort to Disney Springs!
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Some people don't like staying at this resort because it's so large & spread out, but I love it. It's so beautiful, has a lot of awesome pools along with the main feature pool, and the quick service restaurant, Artist's Palette, is very good. The table service restaurant, the Turf Club, also doesn't get the love it deserves, in my opinion. My favorite section to stay is The Paddock. I always request a room right next to the Paddock pool, as they have a quick service area at the pool, and one of the bus stops is right there! Why do I always give away these great secrets, lol? My sister, my BFF, and I stayed at SSR last May 2017 for our girls' F&G Festival trip. We stayed in The Springs section, which was also really nice, but I wouldn't stay there again if I can help it. The main bus stop is right there, which serves the restaurants & resort shop, so this stop was ALWAYS crowded. We ended up walking over a little bridge to the Paddock section to catch their bus by the middle of the trip, to avoid a full bus at the Springs, as that was the last stop, so there was usually always a full bus. Since I don't have a ton of food pics for this day, here's a pic of me, my sis, and my bff on our May trip!


Me, my sister, Mary Ann, and my bff, Kathy at Epcot's F&G Festival May 2017
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Up next, shopping & eating at Disney Springs, and MVMCP!

 
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Part 2- Day 10, Monday, November 7th, 2016- Disney Springs & we're going to another party!!!

We arrived to Disney Springs in no time at all, and the plan was to do some shopping for the little grandsons at home, and have lunch before heading back to POFQ to relax before making our way to the MK for MVMCP. I thought the decorations at Goofy's Candy Company were so festive & retro. Love them!

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Look at all those pretty & Christmassy goodies!
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So cute! I love caramel apples, but even though I think these are adorable, I'd probably never buy one because I wouldn't be able to eat that sugar coating. I would want one just to use as a decoration, LOL!
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Just looking at these makes me happy!
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So many choices!
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So we bought one of these little guys. Cutest little gingerbread man ever! We also got a gingerbread kit with a cute little Mickey shaped gingerbread man cookie cutter so that we could make them with the kids when we got home.
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We hit up Mickey's Pantry next. My daughter got married a few years ago, and she loves to cook, so I've been getting her some Disney kitchen goodies every trip. I bought her the most darling Mickey & Minnie Christmas apron to go with the hand towels I had gotten her. Isn't it adorable?
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I also bought a Mickey head sandwich cutter, which I use frequently when my grandsons are here. They love eating Mickey's ears off! Big plus, I got 20% off here with my AP discount. Then we went to the Disney Store where I bought Buzz and Woody Christmas ornaments for my grandsons. Every year I buy them Disney Christmas ornaments and I personalize them. In the future they'll have lots of ornaments for their own Christmas tree!

These are the ornaments I bought. They came as a set, and they were $16.99 a set. A steal in Disney prices! So I have four grandsons, and bought two sets for a total of $33.98 minus my 20% AP discount! This year when we were at WDW in September I was in total shock looking at the ornament prices! They were like $20-$25 a piece!!! Sorry, not paying those prices. I ended up personalizing ornaments on Shutterfly for them using their photos.

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After about an hour of wandering and shopping, we decided we were ready for lunch. I had heard Wolfgang Puck Express had gluten free pizza, and I was in the mood. Normally I avoid gluten free pizza like the plague. It is never good no matter where I've gotten it from. I'm a glutton for punishment though, so I thought, what the heck, let me give it ANOTHER try.

I love butternut squash soup. This was so so good! I didn't want to share with Harry, but because I'm such a nice person, I did. Butternut Squash Soup - Cardamom Cream, chives; cup $4; bowl $7
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Ta daaaa, here is my gluten free pizza! Guess what? It was pretty good, by gluten free pizza standards that is. The one thing I love about pizza is the ooey gooey cheese factor, and for some reason, cheese does not become ooey & gooey on a GF pizza crust. Never, ever. I don't know why. Does anyone else know the science behind this? So, I liked this pizza. I didn't love it, but I did like it. It satisfied my pizza craving for the moment. The crust didn't taste like cardboard. It was one of the best GF pizzas I've ever had. Now I'm not telling you GF folks to rush out and get this the next time you're in WDW. It's not that good, but if you happen to be in the vicinity, and you're craving pizza, it's worth a try. I heard Blaze Pizza also has GF pizza. Maybe I'll give that a try on our next trip. I told you. I'm a glutton for punishment.
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Harry's pizza. Looks a lot better than mine, doesn't it? I'm sure it tasted a lot better, too. He said he enjoyed this. Not as much as Via Napoli's Carciofi pizza, but it hit the spot. Considering the Carciofi pizza is twice the price, at $22 for the individual, one would expect that to be a lot better though.
Roasted Mushroom - Goat Cheese, Arugula, Garlic Cream Sauce, Parmesan $13.5
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After lunch we did a little more shopping. I went to Basin to get some goodies for myself! Beware, make sure you have room in your checked luggage for any items you may plan to buy at Basin, and that you allow for the weight of them, as some of the creams can be pretty hefty. A few years ago I had bought a body butter for myself, and put it in my carry-on bag. It's NOT a liquid. Well apparently according the the TSA it is. They took it. I almost cried. This time I bought myself peppermint shea salt body scrub, peppermint body butter, and peppermint tingle face scrub, and yes it does tingle, so watch where you put it! Loved them all! The peppermint fragrance is so refreshing and invigorating, while at the same time calming & relaxing! I also got 10% off with my AP discount. From there we hit up the Lego store, because you know, boys. I love my grandsons so so much, but it would be nice if once in a while I could buy something princessy. Harry was getting a little low on caffeine, so we stopped at Starbucks for a cold brew for me, and a plain old black coffee for him. Per my receipt someone also got a fruit salad? :confused: I don't have a photo of this, but my receipt says we paid $3.65 for a fruit salad "deluxe", no less. I can't imagine this was me. I mean I love fruit as much as the next guy, but with coffee? No. Must have been Harry.

So now it was time to go back to our resort and chill. Prior to going to our room though I wanted to stop at Jackson Square, POFQs gift shop. I had purchased Halloween Mickey ears for MNSSHP from an online shop that sells Disney park merchandise prior to our trip, but I didn't have Christmas Mickey ears. You know, those ears are not cheap! I have never worn Mickey ears in the parks before this trip, or anywhere else for that matter! I thought you know what, who cares if I just turned 60, Mickey ears are for all ages! I decided I needed Christmas ones for the Christmas party! I had been hemming and hawing all week about it. That is such a silly phrase, isn't it? I wonder what it's origin is. I could look it up, but seriously, this is why my DRs take so long for me to finish! I need to stick to the subject!

I guess I decided I didn't like what I brought to wear to the Christmas party, as I also bought a new t shirt to wear. Well this turned out to be an expensive trip to the store! Christmas Mouse ears $23.99 and a red Minnie/Mickey t shirt with some glitter $29.95. I did get 20% off with my AP though, so the total was only $45.96 with tax. Only. Like when am I going to wear these sparkly Christmas ears again? It was fun at the time, lol. In retrospect, I don't even like the tshirt I bought. I mean, it's okay, but not $30 okay. Plus, I had to buy a larger size because of needing more room in the boob area, but the dang shirt is way too long! Why do they add all these inches in length for larger sizes? Weird.

Here's an awkward pic of me taking a photo of the MK bus, with my reflection shining in the bus window, lol. I am outside of the bus, right? I can't tell. The lady on the right looks like she is embarrassed for me and trying not to look.
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4:48pm and we're on the bus to the MK and MVMCP! Look how happy we are, and how sparkly I am!
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Yea, I'm not liking the fit of this shirt at all! Can you say "muffin top". Ugh.
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My honey is looking exceptionally handsome though!
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We stopped for a quick PP pic!
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Since it had been quite a while since we had eaten lunch, we stopped at Casey's for dinner. I really love Casey's. I really loved it a lot more when the plastic cheese was self serve, and I was so sad when they discontinued it. Nothing like crispy hot Casey's fries with cheese sauce all over them! I'm salivating now thinking about them. I have absolutely no idea why I have no pics of our meal, but fortunately there are some online, so I borrowed them.

Harry had the BBQ Slaw dog meal, which apparently they don't have on the menu anymore. Per the Disney Food Blog site "
Topped with pulled barbecue pork and a heaping helping of coleslaw, the big question once you receive your order is exactly how to tackle it — it’s just gigantic, and you may be tempted to eat the pork and slaw off the hot dog first, just for the sake of logistics.

But still, try to eat at least a few bites as-is, because this is a great combo. It’s weird, because I’m typically not a fan of mushing all sorts of food together on my plate, but somehow, this has just always worked. The cool tang of the slaw balances the mild spice of the barbecue so nicely. Couple that with the smoky hot dog, along with it’s “snap” for a little variety in the texture, and it’s easy to understand why this gourmet dog has survived since its introduction while others have come and gone." Nope, it didn't survive. RIP BBQ Slaw Dog.
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I had the basic hot dog meal, which also comes with fries. I adore sauerkraut, so I like to pile my dog with a mountain of sauerkraut, and I love that it is on the toppings bar and I can have as much as I want!!! This photo is courtesy of the DIS. I add a little mustard, and chopped onions & relish, also on the toppings bar, and YUM! I missed Casey's last trip, so will have to go back soon, and I will take pictures!
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After dinner we went on some rides, and took more PP pics. I think they left something out of this pic? What were we scared of? A not so magical magic shot, lol.
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So pretty, right?
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I was going for an artistic shot here, trying to get the reflection of the castle in the water.
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We watched the Christmas parade from the little bridge near Liberty Square.
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A hidden Mickey!
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We hung out in Storybook Circus for a while, got some popcorn, a diet coke, and a caramel apple to snack on, and did some people watching while enjoying our treats!
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Here is a magic shot that had magic in it!
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After all this posing for pictures, and trying to present my best side, lol, we were snacky again, so stopped at the Plaza Ice Cream Parlor for another yummy treat. Again, I took no pics! Why? I'm thinking because it was super crowded in there, and no where to place our ice cream to take a good shot. I got some mint chocolate chip in a cup, and Harry got the ice cream cookie sandwich. Guess who's was better.
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Sadly, I can't eat the cookie part of the ice cream sandwich. I mean, I could, if I wanted to suffer afterwards. For some things I will take the risk, like the carciofi pizza at Via Napoli's. For a cookie, no.

Here's a mint chocolate chip ice cream cookie sandwich from The Plaza! This looks so good!
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I enjoyed my ice cream very much, and the chocolate chips make it even better!

We made it until about 11pm, and decided we'd beat the rush to the buses. Can you see the snow? Good Night Magic Kingdom!
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Up next, more Food & Wine goodness!
 
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You're story about Your nephew had me in tears. I lost a close friend to a brain injury. While she is still here, she is not here. Something like this just breaks your heart. I hope his father can find his way back to Disney even without his son. Sending out love and hugs to your family.

You look fabulous in your Mickey ears! I wear my ears to Magic Kingdom most of the time. One good thing about Disney is that you get to be a kid again and no one will judge you. Sounds like you really enjoyed the party. It has to be really cool to have snow on Main Street.

I am so tempted by that brunch. I keep seeing great reviews. I already booked the bubbles brunch and Il Mulino for my next trip. I am making California grill a priority for next year. That sushi looks fantastic. I could eat my weight in sushi. Trust me, that is a lot of sushi to be had lol
 
You're story about Your nephew had me in tears. I lost a close friend to a brain injury. While she is still here, she is not here. Something like this just breaks your heart. I hope his father can find his way back to Disney even without his son. Sending out love and hugs to your family.

Thank you, Niki. I'm so sorry to hear about your friend, too. There are no words to describe tragedies like this. You are mourning a person who is still alive. Sadly, & ironically, I just found out today that my brother sold his DVC. He pretty much only speaks to my son now, out of our entire immediate family. Not only did this accident take Dom away, it fractured our family.

You look fabulous in your Mickey ears! I wear my ears to Magic Kingdom most of the time. One good thing about Disney is that you get to be a kid again and no one will judge you. Sounds like you really enjoyed the party. It has to be really cool to have snow on Main Street.

You would think I would have brought my ears with me on our December trip this year, but no, I left them home. My daughter and my daughter-in-law had their ears, but I was earless, and I'm pretty bummed about that, lol!
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I am so tempted by that brunch. I keep seeing great reviews. I already booked the bubbles brunch and Il Mulino for my next trip. I am making California grill a priority for next year. That sushi looks fantastic. I could eat my weight in sushi. Trust me, that is a lot of sushi to be had lol

I love sushi, too! I could eat it every day, all day! You have to try the brunch! Too funny, I've never been to Il Mulino, and that's on my list to try soon!
 
I love this TR sooo much! The touching story about your nephew plus your brother not able to bear parting with his DVC just in case :( I’m probably all over the place because I forgot to do the multiquoted. First off, the brunch looks great and I’m seriously considering doing that in November during our free day, maybe same day as MVMCP? The mickey ears were totally worth the money. They looked super adorable on you! You and your hubby are just so cute together.
 


I just read your reply to someone else about your brother selling his DVC and the fractured family. I’m so sorry to hear about that. It’s sad when a tragedy tears a family apart instead of bringing closer together.
 
I love this TR sooo much! The touching story about your nephew plus your brother not able to bear parting with his DVC just in case :( I’m probably all over the place because I forgot to do the multiquoted. First off, the brunch looks great and I’m seriously considering doing that in November during our free day, maybe same day as MVMCP? The mickey ears were totally worth the money. They looked super adorable on you! You and your hubby are just so cute together.

Thank you so much! The brunch is amazing, and while costly, $80pp, it is worth it to do it at least once. It's only on Sundays though, so if that is your free day as well as your MVMCP day, it would be a great day to do it!

I just read your reply to someone else about your brother selling his DVC and the fractured family. I’m so sorry to hear about that. It’s sad when a tragedy tears a family apart instead of bringing closer together.

Thank you again. Sadly, it seems it's more the norm for tragedies to tear families apart than bring them closer together. I talk about what happened a little in my thread about Dom. In a nutshell, Dom is my brother's only child. He doted on him since he was a baby. My brother and Dom's mom split up when Dom was only three months old. After the divorce they only lived a town apart, so Dom was with his mom during the week and my brother on the weekends. Dom's parents got along fairly well over the years, but each one feeling they do/did more for Dom than the other. My brother met his second wife when Dom was 5. She has a daughter a few years older than Dom. Her and my brother moved in together fairly quickly, and they married when Dom was 15. My brother has always wanted to move to Florida. He finally did it in November 2015. Dom had graduated from the U of Miami in 2012 and moved back home to NJ, and moved in with my mom, his grandmom. My brother & his wife were already living with my mom, having rented their home a little before Dom graduated, moving in with my mom to "save money" for the move to Florida, and to "help" my mom. One year turned into four, and I'll let you imagine how much they "helped" my mom. Anyway, Dom didn't really want to move to Florida with them. He loved Florida, but he didn't want to move to where they were moving, near my brother's wife's family in Cape Coral, and he was leery about leaving the rest of the family whom he's very close to, here in NJ. Plus, his mom & his younger sister live here in NJ, too. I feel Dom always was under a lot of pressure from my brother to be the best at everything, and my brother sent Dom to a private prep high school rather than him going to the public HS, convinced him to move away to college since he never did that, talked him into going to the U of Miami, bought him cars, hockey lessons, golf lessons, and on and on. Everything Dom's mom couldn't afford to pay for. I'm skipping over a lot, but it would take forever. It's in the Dom thread. So Dom moved to Florida with them. The accident happened four months later. He languished in the hospital for almost three months with them virtually doing nothing for him, except threatening to send him to a craphole one star rated nursing home. You see, Dom had no insurance at the time. His step mom got him on her work policy several weeks after the accident, and his mom signed him up under her ACA insurance, but they covered NOTHING. Dom didn't qualify for Florida state medicaid because he was still considered a NJ resident. He hadn't lived in Florida long enough to establish residency, plus he still had a NJ driver's license, & was receiving unemployment from NJ. When the accident happened and he was pulled from the car, his ID showed my mom's address here in NJ. The police showed up at my mom's door at 1am to ask if Dom lived there. It was a nightmare. I had to call my brother in Florida and tell him Dom was in a serious accident in Deerfield Beach, Florida on life support, and to call the Broward County police department. For weeks we tried to find a neuro rehab that would take Dom. No one would. No insurance. Odds of recovery slim to none. Blah Blah Blah. My husband, who works for a home care/hospice company, and my brother-in-law, who was a NJ freeholder, were able to get Dom approved for NJ state Medicaid, the one that covers doctors, hospitals, rehabs, etc. not long term Medicaid. Then finally, a facility whom my husband works with frequently agreed to accept Dom. The next hurdle was trying to find a way to get him back to NJ. Miraculously, the money from his car insurance hadn't been paid out yet to the hospital, and the board of directors took pity on Dom, and agreed to fly him on a medical jet back to NJ. My brother loves Dom more than anything, but he was in a complete state of shock and denial throughout Dom's three month Florida hospital stay, continually saying Dom didnt' need rehab, was going to just "wake up" and walk out of the hospital, etc. The hospital had had it. They wanted Dom out, and soon. The social worker kept calling my husband asking him to do something. My brother knew the entire time that we were trying to get Dom back to NJ. He even provided Dom's birth certificate, pay stub, social security number, and everything that was needed to get Dom on NJ Medicaid. Other than my brother, Dom's entire support system is up here. The bottom line is that my brother says we "stole" his son, and took his ex-wife's side. I tell him we took Dom's side. There was no way we were letting him rot away in a hellhole in Florida if we could help it. My brother still is in complete denial of Dom's condition, and would not have been a good advocate for Dom had Dom stayed in Florida. He was visiting fairly frequently after Dom came back here, about every six weeks, then it went to every three months, then five months, now it's been eight months since he's been to see Dom. He could move back, although he says he can't. He could rent his house, sell it, whatever. He owned his own business up here, a dental lab, and he has many many contacts who have offered him jobs in their dental labs. He could move back in with my mom until he got on his feet. His wife would be fine with it, I'm pretty sure, as I don't think she ever wanted to sell their house here in NJ, and move in with my mom in the first place. There was never any love lost between her and my mother. Plus, her daughter, who is completing her last year of surgical residency, lives here in NJ, and just had a baby. I know that even though my SIL's mom, sister and brother live in Florida, she would rather be up here with her daughter, who is her only child, and her new grandchild, and she does have another brother who lives here in NJ. I know my brother is suffering greatly, and that deep down he loves us, but he is taking his anger and frustration out on us. I think he needs to keep anger alive in order to cope with it all, as if he doesn't stay angry and think about how angry he is at us, then he'll start to think about what happened to his son.
 
Thank you so much! The brunch is amazing, and while costly, $80pp, it is worth it to do it at least once. It's only on Sundays though, so if that is your free day as well as your MVMCP day, it would be a great day to do it!


That’s right it is on sundays only. Well if we get free dining plan I’ll definitely do it anyway.

What a story about your nephew Dom. I agree with you about how some people need anger to kept their memories alive. It’s hard to explain but I totally get it. It’s very unfortunate you’re the scapegoat to your brother. I can only hope he will see the truth one day. Maybe he’s so angry because of all the pressure he put on Dom growing up but can’t face it yet? Feel free to message me any time if you need to talk about it even though it’s been a while.
 
Day 11, Tuesday, November 8th, 2016- Part 1- Our Last Day to Wine & Dine :sad:

Today is our last full day of this epic 12 day adventure! I think the use of the word epic nowadays is way over used, but this trip truly was. First off, we were here for 11 nights/12 days, which was awesome, it was the first time we were in WDW for Halloween, we got to go to MNSSHP & MVMCP, we met my now very good friend & DISer Dee Dee @Jerusalem Gal, we did the California Grill Sunday Brunch for the first time, Harry ran his first half marathon ever, and his first Run Disney race, it was Food & Wine, and the weather was awesome! What more can one ask?

This morning we had breakfast in the room, me with my Weight Watchers shake again, and Harry ran over to Sassagoula Floatworks & Food Factory for one of his favorite breakfast items, cheesy grits! Does anyone else miss the over-the-top flamboyant colorful SCARY decor at Sassagoula? I haven't seen the new and improved Sassagoula Floatworks yet, but I heard it looks nice, although has lost a lot of it's New Orleans charm. It seems the powers that be are streamlining a lot at WDW, mainly the resorts' room decor. They use to be so highly themed, and now not so much. I guess it's cheaper in the long run, but it makes me sad, and I miss the great theming the resorts use to have.
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So this pic is not what Harry got, this was from the very beginning of our trip, but I didn't have any solo cheesy grit pics, and you can see them here. He loves grits. He always insists I taste them. Seriously, if I wanted grits I would get my own, but to keep him happy I always take a taste. They're okay. Reminds me of baby food. If I'm going to spend a bunch of calories on something, it's not going to be on grits! One thing I noted is that the price of the breakfast side grits is the same now as it was on this trip, which is over a year later. Grits $2.79
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Since it was our last full day, we headed to Epcot to do some more Food & Wine Festival. It's pretty much just a Food Festival for me, as I don't care for wine, or beer, or alcoholic drinks in general (but since I discovered Schofferhoffer grapefruit beer I do like that). Sparkling wines are okay, but I'm just not much of a fan. Frozen drinks are about my speed, such as frozen margaritas, as well as creamy drinks like Bailey's, Amaretto or Amarula, on the rocks. Blasphemy to some of you, I know! :teeth: Harry had his grits around 7:30am, so he was getting hungry again, as it was after 12 now. We headed over to Japan to one of his favorite counter service restaurants, for one of his favorite WDW dishes.

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Japan is one of my favorite WS countries. I really love all the ponds & waterfalls, watching the Koi swim around, marveling at the bonsai tree display, & reading all about them on the little plaques. It really amazes me at how old some of the bonsai are.

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It's like you're hidden away from the crowd back here!
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The drummers are amazing, and I'm in awe of their strength and talent, but I wish they'd get some new entertainment here. I mean, how many times can one stop and watch & HEAR drums being banged? I've been over it for a long time.

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Hello big & little Koi fish! My husband made a really nice big pond in our backyard, with a running waterfall and everything. I'd love to have some Koi, but I know I wouldn't enjoy watching the hawks pick them off one by one. :eek:

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Katsura Grill is a great place to get a quick bite to eat when you're in World Showcase. There are plenty of seats inside & out. We try to sit and eat outside if the weather is cooperating. It's really peaceful and pretty back there.

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Shrimp Tempura Udon $12.00 and California Roll - Sushi $9.00 I love this shrimp tempura udon so much, but don't eat it anymore because of trying to keep my diet gluten free, but I don't begrudge Harry getting it. The broth is very flavorful, and the tempura shrimp so so good! You have to eat them fast or the coating will get soggy, but even then it's still delicious. The noodles are just perfect, too! I always enjoy sushi, so was satisfied with my California roll, although I was jealousy eyeing the udon I'm sure.

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After we were finished eating we headed to Mitsukoshi to pick up a few goodies for the little guys. Those long colorful packs of things hanging up are gummy candy. I've tried them. They're okay. A little weird fruit tasting and not quite the same texture as our classic gummies. I don't think I'd buy them again. I only bought them in the first place because I was curious. I know a lot of folks like all the different snacks here in the Japan Pavilion, and I wanted to qive something a try, so I thought why not gummies? I have no idea why I chose them, lol. Will have to try something different next time. Does anyone have any favorite Japan Pavilion snacks?

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I was hoping to finish this day in one sitting, but it's Super Bowl Sunday and we live about a 20 minute drive from Philly, but in NJ, so obviously we're Eagles fans, and I have things to do before we go to our son's for his annual Super Bowl party! Woo Hoo! Fly Eagles Fly, On the Road To Victory...... E A G L E S, Eagles!!! Haha, I'm really not that excited about the game. I enjoy football, but I can take it or leave it. It would be great if the Eagles win, as I know it would make a lot of my friends and family happy, and if my dad were still alive he'd be ecstatic, but I'm more excited about all the food! :jumping1: :dancer: Isn't the food the best part of any celebration? I mean, this is the Dining Review Forum. See you soon for the rest of our last Food & Wine day!

 
I am so sorry this happened to your family. My friend's family fractured too, pitting father against daughter, siblings against each other, and don't even mention grandma. I think losing someone to brain trauma is so disorienting, is he/she still here, will he/she going to "snap out of it," how do we survive with our family member in this state. For my friends Eva was the rock of the family, primary wage earner and caretaker to her children. Now her brain age is about 7. So sad. Her family has only started to heal, three years later. I pray that yours doea as well.

That Udon is good. I cant wait to try a full bowl in October. I cant believe your trip is coming to an end.
 
Day 11, Tuesday, November 8th, 2016- Part 2- Our Last Day to Wine & Dine :sad:

Hello! I'm back! Thought I'd have finished this up before now, but again, it's been a crazy few weeks. First things first, the Eagles won the Super Bowl!!! Yay!!! Can't tell you how thrilled the Eagles fans in my family were. This has been such a long time coming. Wish my dad were still alive to watch this game. He would have loved it. I'm sure he was up there in heaven cheering along! Also, my nephew, Dom, who has the anoxic brain injury, had been having episodes of vomiting & temps for several weeks, & was even seen in the local trauma center's ER after several days of this, but supposedly all his labs and other tests were fine. They kept treating his symptoms as a GI bug, stopping his feedings, restarting at a lower rate, holding them, adding Prilosec & Zantac. He’d seem better, then it would start all over again. His blood pressure was up a lot higher than normal, his heart rate was must faster than normal. He also wasn’t as alert as usual. His mom was scared to death that he was going to aspirate, which ended up happening. I even went with him to his GI doc the day after he was seen at the trauma center ER, & she gave the all clear. Poor kid. God knows how long he was suffering with these kidney stones. I convinced his mom to send him to the ER at the hospital I worked at for years this past Wednesday, & insist he be fully worked up. He ended up being admitted with a diagnosis of aspiration pneumonia & kidney stones, one of which was really large at 6mm x 10mm, and had moved to his ureter. No wonder he was vomiting. He has no way of communicating with us other than what his body and vital signs show us, and the elevated bp, hr, and vomiting are all signs of severe pain. I feel so bad. He was seen by pulmonology and urology, started on iv antibiotics, lots of iv fluid and flushes through his peg tube, hoping to flush out the stones, and his tube feed was changed to one that will have less of a chance of stone formation. The urologist said he may have to go in and retrieve the largest stone, but didn't want to give Dom anesthesia while he has pneumonia. He is doing so much better, and will be discharged back to his living facility today. (Update: just heard from Dom's mom. He's not being discharged today, as now he is having frequent severe diarrhea. Ugh. Hope it's not C-diff). In other news, no one really knows about what I'm about to tell you, so don't tell anyone else ;), my daughter and son in law have been trying to have a baby for the last 2 1/2 years without success. She was diagnosed with PCOS, which is a big factor in infertility. She's been through all kinds of testing, multiple rounds of different fertility meds, injections, IUI, you name it. She's had two pregnancies during these last few years that ended in miscarriage around 6 weeks. It's been devastating for them. So they decided to go the invitro route, and her transfer was January 24th. Then the waiting started. After five days she had a positive home pregnancy test, with three more positives every day after that. Then the spotting and cramping started. She was convinced she was losing the baby. Went to the fertility doc a few days later, and her hcg numbers were right where they should be, and they continued to rise on as they should. The spotting and cramping continue off and on though. Her first ultra sound was last week, and there was the little peanut right where he should be. They're trying to relax and enjoy the pregnancy, but it's so hard for them. Then no spotting or cramping for several days, and of course, it starts again a few days ago. Her next ultra sound appointment was moved from tomorrow to this morning, and sure enough, the baby is where he should be, with his little heartbeat. The doc told them to stop worrying about the spotting/cramping, unless it's like a full blown heavy painful period. I understand what he's saying, but how do you relax? I told her I'm sure everything will be just fine. We've been doing lots of extra praying this month!

So that's part of the stuff that's been going on, but let's move on to Disney food! After lunch, I guess we were still a little hungry, so our next stop was Hops & Barley, as I was craving a taste of that warm carrot cake with cream cheese icing! Yes, yes, I know, not gluten free, but I'm not celiac, so a bite won't kill me. I thought it would be worth it.

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Here it is! So our verdict is that's it's okay. I was disappointed. I just thought it would be so much better. It wasn't bad, mind you, just not mind blowing. Maybe I should have asked for extra cream cheese frosting. I'll do that next time! I kind of like thicker gooey icing, sort of like what's on Auntie Anne's cinnamon rolls, lol. This icing seemed like it just melted off.
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Harry wanted to try the lobster roll, and I ate some of the lobster. This was pretty good. I thought it would be much better if it had a more creamy consistency with a tangy dressing. This was just chunks of lobster that wasn't very tasty. It really didn't have much of a flavor at all.
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And of course, I had to get some Schofferhofer! My new favorite alcoholic drink! Never thought I'd be drinking beer. Normally hate the stuff! Now, here is another one of my weaknesses, soft pretzels. I seriously love them, specifically Philly pretzels. I only eat them if I'm having a serious craving, and hope it doesn't affect me too much. So being reckless, careless, whatever you want to call it, I thought I'd get a pretzel in Germany. Look at that sucker! Guess what? I didn't enjoy this. It's not like a regular soft pretzel. It's more like a bread than a pretzel. Plus, there is no where near enough salt on this thing. I love me some salt, lol. Win some, lose some.
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Our next stop was Il Bel Cristallo in Italy. I love this store, specifically for the murano glass jewelry.
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I had stopped here a few days prior to buy a birthday present for DeeDee @Jerusalem Gal, and I liked what I got her so much that I had to go back and get one for me! Isn't this bracelet pretty? I love how it sparkles and glows!
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Every trip I bring back some goodies for my mom, usually in the form of cookies and chocolate covered pretzels. She adores the Mickey shortbread cookies, but I switched it up this trip and went to Der Teddybar in Germany, and got her several different kinds of German cookies.
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Photo belongs to MouseSteps.com

I was still in a shopping mood, so next we went to one of my favorite WDW stores, Mouse Gears! If you can't find it here, you can't find it no where, and that's a fact, Jack! I needed to get a few more small gifts for the little guys at home. After purchasing several Star Wars Tsum Tsums, and some figurine sets, we were back on our way. This was turning out to be a great last F&W day! We felt like visiting our friends Marlon, Nemo & Dory, so the Living Seas was next on our agenda. Don't you find staring at the fish tanks so relaxing and mesmerizing? I do. Look at this little pink & red checkerboard fish catching a ride on the star fish!
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These creatures are just so creaturey looking, aren't they?
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This is what's going through my head right now, to the tune of Staying Alive. Ah ha ha ha, catching a ride, catching a ride....
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Helllooooo, Dory!
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Hey there, Nemo!
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Since it was our last day in Epcot this trip, we had to go on our favorite ride one more time, Soarin! I miss the old Soarin, a lot, really a lot, but I do love this new one, too. Wish they could have kept them both.


It was such a gorgeous day, turning into night.
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I like taking pics of all the flowers & foliage for ideas for back home. Of course, I'm not the gardener in the family, that title definitely goes to Harry, but I am the picture taker, so I take the pics so that he has them for reference! I'm nice like that!
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So pretty, and a great use of wine bottles! Honey, can you make this for me???
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The day was coming to an end for us, as well as our trip, so what better thing to treat ourselves with for our last F&W bite! Yes, we had another
  • Liquid Nitro Chocolate-Almond Truffle with Warm Whiskey-Caramel (GF) – $4.75, DDP Snack Eligible
  • So so so so good! I love these! I'm not a huge chocolate fan, I mean, I like chocolate, but I don't usually crave chocolate. These I crave. Maybe it's the combination of the cold with the warm. I don't know. I just love all the components together. The frozen chocolate, the warm caramel, the crushed almonds. Yum!
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Up next... Lunch at Sanaa, and we say til next time, see ya real soon!
 
Day 12, Wednesday, November 9th, 2016- Part 1- So long, farewell, auf Wiedersehen, goodbye...Sanaasee you later!

First off, please disregard those two empty posts above this one. I actually had this last post done over two weeks ago, as you can see from the dates on the empty posts, (and why can't we just delete our own posts? That drives me nuts, too!), and before I got the chance to hit post reply, the whole post disappeared. Argghhhhh!!!!! I hate when that happens, and it's happened to me before, usually when I spend an entire day typing up an installment, and have to walk away from it throughout the day, then come back. I don't know why it didn't auto save. Anyway, it really upsets me that I put all that work into a post, only to have it disappear. Then it takes me a few weeks to get the desire to start again. So, here we go! Let's get er done!!!

We had a later flight, so our plan today was to take our time packing things up, then heading over to Animal Kingdom to catch the AKL bus, and have lunch at one of our very favorite restaurants on property, Sanaa! We were out of the room by 11, and on our way! I love the Animal Kingdom Lodge resorts, Jambo House and Kidani Village, but Jambo is my favorite. They are both beautiful resorts, but I love that Jambo has the quick service restaurant, Mara, as well as the pool being right out the back doors. It's also my fav pool on property, and has the best hot tubs! Kidani's pool is beautiful, too, but I don't like having to cut through the parking lot to get to it, especially if I'm running down in the evening just to jump in the hot tub!

Covered walkway from Kidani Village's bus stop to the entrance way and porte cochere.
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I love seeing all these lanterns lit up at night. It's just so pretty!
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If only I could live here.
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I have a cute picture of my little grandsons sitting here from our December trip. I think I'll post it!
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Wes & Luc with Poloko! Our arrival day, December 8, 2017, Animal Kingdom Lodge Kidani Village
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Our departure day, December 16, 2017, Wes & Luc playing the bongo with Aunt Lauren, while waiting for the Tragical Express, under the Porte Cochere at Animal Kingdom Lodge Kidani Village
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Every decoration & artifact at AKL Kidani & Jambo has a meaning. There are many proverbs throughout Kidani Village. Here is a great article about the artifacts at Kidani Village if you are interested.
African-Inspired, Disney-Designed Tour of Animal Kingdom Lodge Kidani Village
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kidani Village's beautiful lobby!
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The stairs leading down to Sanaa.
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Aren't the designs on the stairs amazing?
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Love the many different light fixtures throughout the resort!
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The hall heading to Sanaa!
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Looking forward to some really great food!
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All the cast members here are so friendly and helpful!
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Don't you love all the different lights? Side note, if you can't get a dining reservation at a time you want, you can order the famous bread service at the bar here.
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Harry perusing the menu as if he doesn't already know what he's getting!
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We had a spectator for lunch!
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Well hello there!
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Lunch with a view! Doesn't get much better than this!
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I seriously love love love this soup! The menu just states seasonal soup, but this is tomato soup with paneer cheese. I have it every time I eat here, and I hope they never take it off the menu! The cheese reminds me sort of like a fried mozzarella texture wise. So so good!
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I think this was a butternut squash soup. I can't find my receipts for this day, so this is a guess. I do remember we loved both soups!
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And of course, the piece de resistance,
Indian Style Bread Service - Breads include Traditional Naan, Garlic Ginger Naan, Spiced Naan, Onion Kulcha, and Paneer Paratha.
Accompaniments - Red Chile Sambal, Cucumber Raita, Coriander Chutney, Mango Chutney, Tomato-Date Jam, Garlic Pickle, Spicy Jalapeno-lime pickle, Roasted Red Pepper Hummus, Tamarind Chutney; Breads and choice of three accompaniments $13; Breads and all 9 accompaniments $16​
The dipping sauces are arranged coolest to hottest. Harry's naan is in the foreground, and my gluten free naan is in the background.
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Doesn't it all look amazing?!
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We also shared the Potje Inspired sampler: served with scented Basmati Rice; choice of one Journey menu item - Goan Seafood Curry, Butter Chicken, Braised Beef, Spicy Durban Shrimp; AND choice of one Harvest menu item - aloo masala, cilantro-coconut vegetables, pancer tikka, chickpea wat, lentil dhal $26

I'm pretty certain this is the Butter Chicken and the Cilantro Coconut Vegetables with Basmati Rice.
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I had to include a pic of the beautiful bathroom right near Sanaa!
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I must continue in two parts, due to the amount of photos!

 
Day 12, Wednesday, November 9th, 2016- Part 2- So long, farewell, auf Wiedersehen, goodbye...Sanaasee you later!

After this deliciously amazing meal we headed back to Animal Kingdom to while away the afternoon, and check out the Pandora area of the park, which wasn't opened yet. We took a few peeks at Tiffins, too. We still haven't eaten there yet, but will definitely rectify that on our upcoming trip. We're doing the River of Lights dinner package here, and I also want to try to hit up the Nomad Lounge.
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Harry's checking out the menu. I'm so sad that the item that I was dying to try is no longer on the menu! What??? Ugh. I wanted the Wagyu strip loin and braised short rib combo, but now the menu is showing Snake River Farm's Wagyu Eye of Ribeye - marble potato confit, bacon-sherry vinaigrette, cauliflower variations, amarula creme $53. Maybe someone who has had this new item, as well as the old one, can tell me if they like this as much. I read so many great reviews of the strip loin and short rib combo that I couldn't wait to try it. This is why one should not procrastinate. It's not like I didn't have several opportunities previously to eat here.
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The Nomad Lounge
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These girls look like they're having fun!
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Peering over the railing into the nether regions of Pandora!
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Hidden Mickeys in the sidewalk!
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Alas, it was time to go. We sadly made our way back to POFQ to collect our luggage, get a pic of the famous Arnel (he reminds me soooo much of my Uncle Anthony), and we were on our way home, already planning our next Disney adventure! Thanks so much for following along, and sorry I took so long to complete this report! Hope you had as much fun as I did reliving this trip!

Arnel!
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Uncle Anthony!
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