theDIBB - View Single Post - You Used a Snack Credit on a COKE? - WDW, Universal, Sanibel

Guest · 3 Jan 17, 01:01 PM

Welcome to our Food Report for our (2016) Halloween/Thanksgiving/Early Christmas holiday to Orlando and Sanibel Island.

We are a family of three - me (April), DH (R.C.) and DS (Poot - who turned 10 on this holiday!). We visited Orlando and Sanibel Island, travelling from Gatwick on BA.

DH has his own business and could only join us for part of the holiday (hence the title of this trippie!). He�s not really a theme park sort of chap, but he enjoys it down on the Gulf Coast.

For our week on Sanibel we were joined by my DM (Judybat) and her husband (Hans).

The Main Trippie Index is Here

Highs and Lows (including Dining Highs and Lows) are Here

During this holiday we were at WDW first WITHOUT and then with the DDP. We then had a week on Sanibel Island (staying in a condo with a full kitchen) and then a week at Portofino Bay (Universal Orlando). We were in Florida for more than a month - that's a LOT of food to talk about!

Day 0 - Dinner at Thyme Restaurant, Premier Inn Gatwick North Terminal

Warning! I forgot to photograph our dessert tonight. A fall right out of the gate...

So the Premier Inn North Terminal is just across the street from North Terminal Departures.

When I used one of the machines for online check-in...

It spit out our (pre-booked) meal deal voucher. For �25 we got dinner, a drink and a dessert - along with breakfast the next morning. The voucher looks like this:

After collecting our paperwork we ducked over to the restaurant (it�s on the same floor as check-in) to book a table for 6:00 PM. I probably should have booked ahead - we were lucky to grab a table at such a busy time.

For those of you who read my Boston/D.C. trippie - I bet you can guess what I�m going to say about our Premier Inn dinner. Yep, that�s right...pleasantly disappointing!

I am not one for a big dinner the night before a long-haul flight (I don�t get terribly nervous, but I do idle a bit higher�). I thought we'd share the food on the meal deal and I'd order more if we were still hungry. As you will discover if you stay with this food report, I have a thing about wasted food...

So Poot picked out a chicken salad and we added on a side of macaroni and cheese. Poot only drinks water, and I had a Diet Coke (brought in a pint glass - yay!).

Chicken Salad:

I laughed out loud when a waiter brought the macaroni and cheese - it came in a bowl the size of a shot glass!

Here it is next to Poot�s (9 year old) hand:

When we next saw our waitress (she hadn�t brought the mac �n� cheese) she offered to bring us another shot glass full of pasta.

�Yes. Everyone is so surprised to see how small the portion is!�. Hmm�

We passed on the extra pasta - it wasn�t very good anyway. The salad was fine, it tasted like one would expect Premier Inn restaurant food to taste.

After dinner we shared a brownie sundae. This was pretty good (hard to screw up a brownie and a scoop of ice cream), but the next time we stay at Gatwick I think we�ll eat at one of the airport restaurants. Maybe Giraffe? I would love some advice - where�s good at Gatwick (we won�t have a car)?

As for cost - we were out an extra �2 for the wee macaroni, and I tipped our waitress 15% of the pre-adjusted cost of the meal.

As an aside�

Sitting next to us at dinner was a group of four sixty-ish adults, one of whom was REALLY interested in maximising the value of their meal deals. He kept tallying up his companions� choices and rejecting the ones that weren�t �winners�. I tried (at first, lol) not to listen - but it was pretty funny to hear his companions try to be polite (while they were getting more and more frustrated).

�But, Bill - I don�t WANT a steak�.

�Steak�s a winner!�

�But Bill, I want chicken�.

�If you have chicken you LOSE - and THEY win!�

Etc�

Now I like saving money, too - but...

Did I think the meal deal was worth it? Well, for us it probably was, but only by a pound or two. I could have made Poot pick a "winner", I guess...

Seriously, though - I do like being able to pre-pay as many things as possible, and that's a big plus of the meal deal.

If you'd like to read my main trip report...

Trip Report Day 0 is Here

3 Jan 17, 01:01 PM	#1
	3 Jan 17, 01:01 PM Guest Guest
Guest Guest	You Used a Snack Credit on a COKE? - WDW, Universal, Sanibel - COMPLETE Welcome to our Food Report for our (2016) Halloween/Thanksgiving/Early Christmas holiday to Orlando and Sanibel Island. We are a family of three - me (April), DH (R.C.) and DS (Poot - who turned 10 on this holiday!). We visited Orlando and Sanibel Island, travelling from Gatwick on BA. DH has his own business and could only join us for part of the holiday (hence the title of this trippie!). He�s not really a theme park sort of chap, but he enjoys it down on the Gulf Coast. For our week on Sanibel we were joined by my DM (Judybat) and her husband (Hans). The Main Trippie Index is Here Highs and Lows (including Dining Highs and Lows) are Here During this holiday we were at WDW first WITHOUT and then with the DDP. We then had a week on Sanibel Island (staying in a condo with a full kitchen) and then a week at Portofino Bay (Universal Orlando). We were in Florida for more than a month - that's a LOT of food to talk about! Day 0 - Dinner at Thyme Restaurant, Premier Inn Gatwick North Terminal Warning! I forgot to photograph our dessert tonight. A fall right out of the gate... So the Premier Inn North Terminal is just across the street from North Terminal Departures. When I used one of the machines for online check-in... It spit out our (pre-booked) meal deal voucher. For �25 we got dinner, a drink and a dessert - along with breakfast the next morning. The voucher looks like this: After collecting our paperwork we ducked over to the restaurant (it�s on the same floor as check-in) to book a table for 6:00 PM. I probably should have booked ahead - we were lucky to grab a table at such a busy time. For those of you who read my Boston/D.C. trippie - I bet you can guess what I�m going to say about our Premier Inn dinner. Yep, that�s right...pleasantly disappointing! I am not one for a big dinner the night before a long-haul flight (I don�t get terribly nervous, but I do idle a bit higher�). I thought we'd share the food on the meal deal and I'd order more if we were still hungry. As you will discover if you stay with this food report, I have a thing about wasted food... So Poot picked out a chicken salad and we added on a side of macaroni and cheese. Poot only drinks water, and I had a Diet Coke (brought in a pint glass - yay!). Chicken Salad: I laughed out loud when a waiter brought the macaroni and cheese - it came in a bowl the size of a shot glass! Here it is next to Poot�s (9 year old) hand: When we next saw our waitress (she hadn�t brought the mac �n� cheese) she offered to bring us another shot glass full of pasta. �Yes. Everyone is so surprised to see how small the portion is!�. Hmm� We passed on the extra pasta - it wasn�t very good anyway. The salad was fine, it tasted like one would expect Premier Inn restaurant food to taste. After dinner we shared a brownie sundae. This was pretty good (hard to screw up a brownie and a scoop of ice cream), but the next time we stay at Gatwick I think we�ll eat at one of the airport restaurants. Maybe Giraffe? I would love some advice - where�s good at Gatwick (we won�t have a car)? As for cost - we were out an extra �2 for the wee macaroni, and I tipped our waitress 15% of the pre-adjusted cost of the meal. As an aside� Sitting next to us at dinner was a group of four sixty-ish adults, one of whom was REALLY interested in maximising the value of their meal deals. He kept tallying up his companions� choices and rejecting the ones that weren�t �winners�. I tried (at first, lol) not to listen - but it was pretty funny to hear his companions try to be polite (while they were getting more and more frustrated). �But, Bill - I don�t WANT a steak�. �Steak�s a winner!� �But Bill, I want chicken�. �If you have chicken you LOSE - and THEY win!� Etc� Now I like saving money, too - but... Did I think the meal deal was worth it? Well, for us it probably was, but only by a pound or two. I could have made Poot pick a "winner", I guess... Seriously, though - I do like being able to pre-pay as many things as possible, and that's a big plus of the meal deal. If you'd like to read my main trip report... Trip Report Day 0 is Here Edited at 12:28 PM.