No Longer coming to you Live from Disney World! Take 3 DDW'S TAMBU LOUNGE 8/6

[disney meema]

Wow the Jedi Mickey meal looks so fun ... What a blast : ) I'd definitely like to go see his character meal. Your daughter is a doll. So adorable!!!

 

[DonaldDoleWhip]

I actually have one more review to add, from my departure day: Raglan Road Sunday Brunch.

However, before getting to the restaurant, I had to deal with the unpleasant parking situation in Downtown Disney. Parking there is a total mess right now, and it'll stay that way until the first new parking garage opens.

Construction walls are scattered throughout DTD, and many of them showcase concept art for Disney Springs.

After walking from the West Side's parking lot, I eventually made it to Raglan's entrance, where they were proudly sharing the news of their recent "Best Restaurant" win. According to Disney Food Blog, this was a readers' choice poll through Orlando Magazine. Nice job, Raglan!

I really enjoyed my last brunch at Raglan and was excited to try some more brunch-exclusive items. Fortunately, the Irish soda bread is served at every meal - it's a favorite of mine.

My starter was the yogurt (or yoghurt) parfait with granola and berry compote. It was fairly expensive ($10), but I really enjoyed it. The granola was crunchy instead of soggy, indicating to me that the parfait had been freshly made. Also, the yogurt itself was creamy and full of vanilla bean specks, and I loved the flavor of the berry compote.

My main course was the Pancakes Diaspora - homemade pancakes with crème fraîche, maple syrup, and berry compote. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this dish. The pancakes were fresh and plentiful, the maple syrup tasted natural, and the berries were deliciously tart and sweet. It was a large portion, but I still finished it and had some room for dessert.

I decided to try a dessert I hadn't seen on the menu before: Granny Dundon's famous steamed Orange Pudding. This was a smaller portion than their Bread & Butter pudding, but that was a good thing for me! The pudding itself was light, spongy, and had a distinct citrus flavor - it was a satisfying change from the bread pudding.

Another thing I liked about my meal was the mint leaf garnish on all three courses - I could eat fresh mint leaves by the handful and be perfectly happy.

Brunch at Raglan Road was a delicious last meal before leaving WDW. I've had many good meals at Raglan (and some okay ones), but this meal cemented Raglan as a favorite of mine.

 

[Quin]

For me, a stop in World Showcase wouldn't be complete without L'Artisan des Glaces, so I went there for dessert. My choices were the pineapple sorbet and mint chocolate ice cream, and both were excellent. The mint chocolate tastes like fresh, actual mint leaves - it doesn't have that cloying 'toothpaste' flavor that other mint chocolate chip ice creams have. Also, the pineapple sorbet has dethroned the dole whip for my favorite frozen pineapple treat in WDW.

But---but---but Mr. DAdG just doesn't sound as good as Mr. DDW!

Lovely photos; glad you had a good trip.

 

[jabead]

Thanks again Patty and DDW for posting more great reviews!


DDW - I had thought about getting the pancakes when I went to brunch at RR but decided that I couldn't go there without getting the bread pudding, so figured I should get something savory rather than sweet for my entree. While the man at the close table to my left got the fish & chips (my other savory option), the girl on my right got those pancakes. So not only did I make the wrong choice (for me) with the egg dish but then was taunted by having to see my other options that both looked soooo good. Anyway, I hope to make it back to Raglan Road for brunch in October so I might just try the pancakes due to your positive review.


Oh, and I have to agree with Quin. DonaldPineappleSorbet just doesn't "roll off the tongue" the way DonaldDoleWhip does.

 

[skylizard]

Spiked dole whips! I tried both versions (with Parrot Bay Coconut Rum and Myer's Dark Rum), and they were definitely enjoyable.

Those look awesome! I'm glad they are actually swirling in the rum instead of just pouring into the bottom. I can't wait to try one of these!

 

[jabead]

Our former live reporters, Li Li and Nigel sent me a report today regarding Magic Kingdom's 24-hour Rock Your Disney Side party which they attended last Friday.

Here is a photo of Li Li and Nigel from a previous Disney World trip...




Li Li said, "Well, due to a flight delay (5 hours!), we only spent 12 hours in the park rather than 24, but it was a blast! Overall, we were a little disappointed that there were not more "special" food items for the 24 hour event, but we didn't let that stop us from chowing down!


"First up was the spicy chicken waffle from Sleepy Hollow. First time for us, and it was our favorite thing at MK!"






"A close second was this truffled mac 'n cheese hot dog from Friar's Nook, soooo good!"





"It's the place to go for Mac'n cheese!"





"Some sweet treats...









"Heroes and villains cupcake....



"We did not partake as it just did not look appetizing."


"Here's what we did get..."





"We finished up with breakfast from Pinnochio's at 4 am."



"Breakfast flatbread - sausage gravy, fluffy scrambled eggs and cheese. Horrible for you, I am sure, but it tasted great! (Or we were too exhausted to know better!)"
​

 

[DonaldDoleWhip]

I agree with Li Li and Nigel - the special food options for the 24-hour event weren't too exciting at all. Disneyland's food selection sounded amazing (especially that apple berry flatbread), but MK got a few breakfast options and cupcakes with food dye. Those candy apples look pretty cool, though!

But---but---but Mr. DAdG just doesn't sound as good as Mr. DDW!

Lovely photos; glad you had a good trip.

You're right - it seems like the username was meant to be, even if my love of dole whips wasn't. Thanks so much, and I'm glad you enjoyed the photos!

Thanks again Patty and DDW for posting more great reviews!

DDW - I had thought about getting the pancakes when I went to brunch at RR but decided that I couldn't go there without getting the bread pudding, so figured I should get something savory rather than sweet for my entree. While the man at the close table to my left got the fish & chips (my other savory option), the girl on my right got those pancakes. So not only did I make the wrong choice (for me) with the egg dish but then was taunted by having to see my other options that both looked soooo good. Anyway, I hope to make it back to Raglan Road for brunch in October so I might just try the pancakes due to your positive review.

Oh, and I have to agree with Quin. DonaldPineappleSorbet just doesn't "roll off the tongue" the way DonaldDoleWhip does.

I hope you can try something else at brunch. While I liked those eggs last summer, this time I heard someone at a nearby table comment that they were too 'liquidy'. Didn't bother me at the time, but it definitely seems like something that could catch people off guard.

And DonaldPineappleSorbet, oh boy.

Those look awesome! I'm glad they are actually swirling in the rum instead of just pouring into the bottom. I can't wait to try one of these!

I hope you can enjoy a spiked dole whip (or two) sometime soon!

 

[emmebear]

here is a quick summary of the rest of our trip. this post doesn't contain many food photos but the next update will. just wanted to include some moments from star wars weekend & rock your disney side!

after our jedi mickey meal, we parked the stroller and found front row "seats" for the symphony of the stars show & fireworks. there was a dj playing star wars music & then james arnold taylor (voice of obi won kenobi in the clone wars) comes out & introduces a whole bunch of star wars characters. it was basically a star wars cat walk which included darth mauuuuuul. i got an awesome video of him.


here are some iphone pictures. i took some pictures with my dslr that i will post in my dining report.

ahsoka tano!

R2D2 & 3CPO!

the entire gang


sitting in the front for the show had it's disadvantages in viewing the fireworks. we moved to the left of the stage and got a side view. the fireworks were synced with music from star wars. pretty amazing if you ask me.


afterwards, we made our way to ride star tours.

i was actually chosen as the "rebel spy" on this tour. how cool! emme was so excited for the entire ride.

emme got a new friend: a stuffed chewbacca toy! so cute!


DHS was in EMH at this point and the park was empty. we were walking around a deserted DHS and it was kind of creepy. it was nice to see all the photo ops without the lines of people and oppressive heat.

one of my favorites:

we then made our way to:

this place is the ultimate fantasy for a star wars fan. it was GINORMOUS and there was star wars merchandise filled to the brim. even better was that there were a ton of places to check out.

also, while in darth's mall, feel free to grab a snack here:

since we weren't staying on site, we weren't allowed to partake in any more of the rides so i decided it was time to head to magic kingdom for the "rock your disney side" party.

but not before having a nice, cold beer to help with the absolute suffocating humidity of the night.

Bud Light
yes, it's a bud light but a bud light is better than no beer!


we had such a fantastic time at DHS. in the 3.5 hours that we were there, i felt like we did so much! it was a super fun time together & emme said that she wanted to head to magic kingdom despite taking a little nap along the way.

i was texting rachel that we were heading to magic kingdom for the "rock your disney side" event. it was close to midnight when we arrived. rachel told me where the webcam was set up & she spotted us! so neat!

people were lining up for the villains parade. i found a prime spot and the parade began. this was not as fun as the villains dance party during MNSSHP in front of the castle but there were so many villains present...i loved it.

i had a rare sighting...i've never seen these two at disney...ever.

megara & a very creepy hades

i was pretty excited to see these two and i loved their float!!

some more float action:

her float was amaaaaaaazing!!


the villains parade was pretty short but it was super fun. the villains were shaking their money makers and got the crowd pumped up! i definitely got my second wind and emme was wide awake for some more disney fun!

they were also passing out some pretty cool FREE souveneir as well.

i got two of these.


we made our way down to main street usa and i had the bright idea of stopping at msb to grab a nice cool caffeinated drink. unfortunately, everyone else in the park had the same idea.

this was MSB at 1am. both sides were jam packed with people waiting for caffeine.

i deleted the image from my phone by accident and all i had was a screen shot from my instagram page.


my caffeine drink of choice:

Green tea frappucino

for nurses appreciation at work (i'm a school nurse), i received some starbucks gift cards from parents which i used happily at disney...yay gift cards!


i then made my way to a kiosk to get some more fast passes. technically, it was the next day but it was still saying "additional fast passes"...it was my first time trying out using fast passes in the same day at multiple parks.

we then made our way to new fantasyland to ride emme's favorite ride:

in our clam shell at 2:30am.


after leaving fantasyland, i really wanted to meet malificent, but the line was nuts for her & anna and elsa (i was surprised they were still in princess fairytale hall at 3am).

i was able to get a few more photo ops before heading home:

i am a hot sweaty mess & emme is officially passed out.

speaking of hot sweaty messes...i know lady tremaine & lotso were dying in their costumes.

there was also a dance party in front of cinderella's castle with a dj. i swear he was amped up on lots of redbull...his energy level was through the roof.

i finally threw in the towel and began the sad ride back to the hotel. i had a really super fantastic time but it was indeed a long day. if i stayed up 2 more hours, i would have been up a full 24 hours. working a full shift & the drive to orlando took a lot out of me.

i think we used our time well in disney and i felt really happy...happy but tired.

up next, dinner @ cape may & a surprise at be our guest!

 

[DonaldDoleWhip]

After heading back home on Sunday, I actually have another update to share from Thursday (the 29th) and Friday (the 30th). Yep, I'm back in Orlando, and this trip has been the most Starbucks-packed of all!

First up, some more Seven Dwarfs Mine Train pictures. The ride itself might not be the longest or most thrilling in MK, but it serves as a beautiful centerpiece for New Fantasyland and offers great views of the park.

On my way out of MK, I stopped at Main Street Bakery to get an iced, unsweetened green tea with "no water" (a tip I received from this very thread). This was seriously refreshing!

Dinner was at a new DTD location for me, Cooke's of Dublin. My choice was the farmhouse salad: organic greens, tomatoes, carrots, and cucumbers, with a piece of grilled chicken added. The chicken was somewhat rubbery, but I liked that the salad consisted of actual mixed greens (without being dominated by romaine or iceberg lettuce).

The next day (yesterday/Friday), I headed to Kona Cafe for breakfast. There are a ton of construction walls in the Polynesian's lobby right now, but Kona is relatively unaffected.

The macadamia-pineapple pancakes were just as good I remembered. One minor fault - the lower two pancakes were slightly dry, but the flavors more than made up for it.

Not pictured is the fruit cup that I ordered in place of breakfast meat. It was just melon and grapes - nothing special.

Later, I found myself in the DTD Marketplace, where a Starbucks had recently opened.

Normally, I like my Starbucks drinks unsweetened, but this time I ordered something that only comes presweetened: the Oprah Chai Tea Latte. It tasted like gingerbread and was surprisingly delicious.

I also decided to get something 'healthy' to complement my Kona breakfast, as some time had passed since my 7:30 ADR at Kona. After looking at the menus at WPE and Earl of Sandwich, something finally caught my eye: Earl's Skinny Bagel Egg White Sandwich with avocado and cheddar. It was delicious and reasonably priced ($4 before tax).

Later, I found myself in Epcot, where I ordered the almond rosewater ice cream from the new snack and beverage location in Morocco. As a huge fan of floral flavors, this was fantastic! Along with the ice creams and sorbets from L'Artisan des Glaces, this is now one of my favorite frozen treats in WDW.

I also stopped at Kringla Bakeri Og Kafe to order a school bread, which was even better than I remembered. This time, I cut it open in order to spread the custard evenly throughout. This ensured that every bite combined the bread's amazing cardamom flavor with the moist, creamy custard.

My last stop in World Showcase was Tangierine Cafe for some tabbouleh. This might be my favorite 'savory' snack in WDW.

The big news from yesterday is that West Side Starbucks opened in DTD! The location is sleek, spacious, and beautifully designed - I was extremely impressed.

Patio

Starbucks Reserve is offered here. I've never heard of it before, but it sounds like a positive for more serious coffee fans.

Outdoors

It was easy to get settled with my iced green tea (same as the one from MK) and a yogurt parfait. This location has plenty of seating and some really cool design elements - I'd say it's memorable enough to be a flagship store for Starbucks.

That's it for now (and to those of you who are excited about the new Starbucks locations, enjoy them)!

 

[jedijill]

Mmmm, my favorite Starbucks treat...iced green tea, no sweetner, no water. In fact, I need to run out and get one now! Wish it could be one of the WDW locations instead of my neighborhood location.

Jill in CO

 

[DonaldDoleWhip]

I've got another large update to share - this one is centered around Animal Kingdom's Africa.

For the past few months (through Saturday, the 31st of May), there have been some notable construction walls near Tusker House.

But yesterday (Sunday), the walls came down, revealing the new Harambe Theatre as well as some incredible placemaking. Not only did they build a new home for Festival of the Lion King, but they also extended Harambe and made the land feel even more immersive. The extension is particularly impressive because it looks like it's been there all along.

Sunday was the first day of Festival of the Lion King performances since January. As I hadn't seen the show in at least 8-9 years, I couldn't wait for it to return.

The new queue for the show is very detailed and fitting for Harambe. (Standby might be different, as this picture was taken in the FP+ line.)

The show itself is the same crowd-pleasing hit it's always been (perhaps with some minor upgrades). The finale is especially great!

I can't believe how long it took me to see FotLK again, as it's easily my favorite stage show in WDW. Nothing else comes close for me (not even Fantasmic).

After the show, I decided to ride the safari, which had no wait at 6:30pm. It had been raining heavily in the afternoon, so a lot of animals were enjoying the cooler temperatures and lush greenery. Plus, our guide (Lia/Lea/Leah) was extremely enthusiastic - it was a really fun safari.

Even two lionesses were out! We also spotted the mane of a male lion, but he was difficult to photograph.

My safari was over by 7:15, and I decided to complete my experience in Harambe with a dinner at Tusker House. The last time I ate here was probably 2004 (back when it was a really good quick service location), and I've been curious to see what the buffet is like.

There was no wait to be seated (even though I didn't have a reservation), as most of the restaurant was empty.

At one point, after a cast member spotted me taking pictures throughout the restaurant, he pointed out an interesting area to me and told me its backstory. "Jorodi Masks & Beads" is a reference to Joe Rohde, the lead designer of Animal Kingdom and one of the lead designers of Aulani. (According to Wikipedia, he was also a designer of the new-defunct Adventurers Club - how fitting!) Anyway, Joe Rohde collected those masks and beads during his travels around the world, and now they pay homage to him in Tusker House. Very cool!

Oddly, my first plate was actually my heaviest. This one included peri peri-marinated salmon, mango chutney, smoked salmon with accompaniments, spiced vegetable tofu, shrimp & quinoa salad with cinnamon vinaigrette, seafood stew with tamarind barbecue sauce, and sweet plantains. For me, some of the flavors could have been bolder (such as the peri peri salmon and the seafood stew), but I was pleased that there was a decent variety of seafood and veggie options.

I got my second and third plates at the same time, with the second plate (a smaller one) including mixed fruit chutneys, tabbouleh, tomato & cucumber salad with mint yogurt dressing, watermelon & feta salad, and mealie bread (sweetened bread with corn). The bread was less sweet than I was expecting, but I liked that actual pieces of corn were scattered throughout.

I used the accompaniments and chutneys on the second plate to dress up the mixed greens on my third plate. This plate also contained spit-roasted chicken and some desserts: banana-cinnamon bread pudding, baklava, and passion fruit tarts. I liked all of these desserts, but especially the tangy flavor and thick consistency of the passion fruit filling in the tart.

Overall, I enjoyed Tusker House. The buffet didn't particularly wow me and wasn't as diverse as Boma, but Tusker House is a few bucks cheaper and offers a convenient setting within the park. I was also happy to explore the restaurant after years of avoiding it, and none of the food stood out as 'bad'. Tusker House is probably empty at dinnertime because so many people have left AK by then; maybe AK's extended hours (in a few years) will help make TH a more popular dinner choice.

By the time I left the restaurant (shortly after 8), AK was closed and the back of Africa was empty.

I soon found myself leaving the park, but first, I snapped a picture of the future site of Avatar from Discovery Island. It sounds like the land will be opening in about 3 years, but until then, at least we've got Disney Springs construction and a questionable Poly 're-imagining' to keep things interesting.

It might sounding strange, but moving FotLK to Africa has seriously changed my impressions of the land. Harambe now feels more complete, and it gained a surprisingly interesting area to explore. Not only that, but Africa is also home to some of AK's best snacks, from fittingly themed cupcakes...

...to dole whips (available the 'regular' way or spiked with rum)!

I hope some of you found this update interesting, and (until next time) kwaherini!

 

[smiths02]

Patty, I need Emme's outfits for my daughter...those are so awesome! I am planning a trip for next year, so I am already having to plan outfits around which character meals we eat at (this was easier when I just had one son and not two sons and a daughter). We will miss SWW, however, I am hoping (a longshot, I know) that they keep that Star Wars meal at H&V more permanently.

 

[DLFan123]

I'm so pleased to see this thread still running! Thanks to everyone who is keeping it running. Those Olaf marshmallows are so cute!

I didn't know they did the Rock Your Disney Side in Orlando as well as DL. It has been far too long since we've been to WDW and all these great pictures are making me miss it even more.

That egg white bagel thin at Earl of Sandwich certainly looks a step above the disappointing one I had last time we ate at Einstein's. Besides that, being at Disney always makes everything taste better.

 

[emmebear]

Patty, I need Emme's outfits for my daughter...those are so awesome! I am planning a trip for next year, so I am already having to plan outfits around which character meals we eat at (this was easier when I just had one son and not two sons and a daughter). We will miss SWW, however, I am hoping (a longshot, I know) that they keep that Star Wars meal at H&V more permanently.

Hello!!

Thanks for the comments on the outfits!

The matching tutus & R2D2 dress were made by my friend Sophie of sew smooth. She also made an awesome 3CPO dress as well. I will post her etsy shop when I get home.

Sophie makes all of emme's special
Dresses for our trip. You can check out my dining report as well to check out some of her work!
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=3188991

The shirt was also made by an etsy shop owner. Hello kitty storm trooper.

She also had star wars themed barrettes in her hair too!

The Jedi Mickey meal was so fun but expensive.

My Instagram handle is nurse_patty is anyone is interested in my dianey pictures that I don't post here.

 

[DonaldDoleWhip]

Here's another update, although this one is a bit different. I've got a surprise announcement to make (and in some ways, it's even a surprise to me!).

As of June 2nd, I've switched over to the dark side.

No, not that dark side! I'm talking about the real dark side of Orlando's theme park market...

Yesterday I bought a Universal annual pass, and I'll be saying "Avada Kedavra" to my WDW ticket when it expires in 3 weeks. A Universal annual pass is significantly cheaper than a WDW one, so I'll be exploring Potter World instead of Disney World when I return to Orlando (I expect to be back at least once over the next year).

On my first visit to the Wizarding World, I was seriously impressed with the level of detail that Universal has achieved. As a cohesive, immersive land, it seriously competes with New Fantasyland (and in several ways tops it).

Also, if you're a fan of cream soda (with a hint of butterscotch flavor), frozen butterbeer is superior to LeFou's Brew. (I had to include something dining-related in this post!)

Universal is also home to some wild thrills, which I already got to enjoy on day one...

...but the real reason I'm excited about visiting Universal is still behind construction walls: the expansion of the Wizarding World.

Of course, it'll still be possible to dine at the WDW resorts and Downtown Disney if I'm in Orlando, so I hope to continue posting WDW updates. Otherwise, I might not have much to add.

Honestly, it'll be nice taking a break from the WDW parks, perhaps until 2016 (when Disney Springs is expected to be complete) or 2017 (when Avatar opens). Even if I'm not sharing updates, though, I look forward to getting my Disney fix on this site (and perhaps this thread, if it's still going)!

 

[GoofySon'sMom]

Say it isn't so Mr. DDW! The Dark Side?! How could you!

I, for one, would be curious to hear about your comparisons of the two Parks in terms of general atmosphere, cast member interaction, of course overall food, etc. Andrew and I almost planned a trip to see the Harry Potter 'stuff' last year but I just couldn't justify the expense when we don't do thrill rides.

I have been to CityWalk and have seen The Blue Man Group. That is the extent of my visits to Universal. Oh, I have eaten at Emeril's Tchoup Chop and they may just be the two best meals I have ever eaten.

 

[jabead]

Though initially this came as a bit of a shock for me , the more I thought about it the more it made sense that you would want to try something a little different for fun and entertainment (yet still in familiar territory) as you begin this new chapter of your "real" life. So even though your surprise announcement is a little sad and disconcerting for me personally, as I have so enjoyed all your WDW reports over the years, in the end I think that having you reporting on things from the "dark side" will be of great benefit for me and all of your other readers. It will be kind of like having a spy behind enemy lines.

 

[wilma-bride]

Mr DDW, I for one am glad to see you are expanding your horizons. As proud Universal AP holders, a trip to Orlando for us would not be complete without a couple of days on the dark side

 

[jabead]

Mr DDW, I for one am glad to see you are expanding your horizons. As proud Universal AP holders, a trip to Orlando for us would not be complete without a couple of days on the dark side

I have to come clean and admit that I have enjoyed my two visits to Universal - Orlando, especially the last one in summer 2010 because most of my family are big fans of the Harry Potter books and movies. However, our trips to Orlando are usually limited to about a week so when push comes to shove (so to speak), I will always choose WDW over US. But then again, I would love to see Diagon Alley...so perhaps "always" is too strong of a word.

 

[vettegirl]

Loved the Universal review! I also love Butterbeer