Team Bricki's Super Secret Magical Wedding and Honeymoon Adventure May 2019- COMPLETE

[princessnicki]

Day 13- The Mara, Animal Kingdom Lodge

Today is really poor for pictures of food but I think I managed to save it with the cocktail pictures.

I headed off to grab breakfast while Brett was at the gym. The plan was to pick up some food to take with us to Universal as we had more QS credits than we needed. I picked us up a Croissant Breakfast Sandwich each (Croissant Sandwich filled with your choice of Bacon or Sausage completed with Scrambled Eggs and American Cheese served with Breakfast Potatoes).

The sandwiches got a bit squished in our rucksacks too so the picture isn’t the most appealing but they hit the spot later in the day. I really enjoyed The Mara, we used it a few times for a quick bite to eat.

I also got a Mimosa for me and Kahlua Iced Coffee for Brett. It was all so awkward to carry that I ended up dropping my Mimosa trying to open the door so I didn’t manage to get a picture (or sample any of it)


I also grabbed us a snack each from the gift shop on the way out of a Rice Crispy treat and Cinnamon Roll

Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour, Universal Studios

We shared the Hot Fudge Sundae (hot fudge, whipped cream, and shortbread crumbles in a souvenir sundae glass). Our choice of icecream was Sticky Toffee Pudding which was the traditional icecream rather than soft-serve. It was delicious and had pieces of pudding in it.

Diagon Alley, Universal Studios

We split our second Frozen Butterbeer of the trip- I think this is Brett’s favourite snack, he absolutely loves these. I really like the foam on top, it has a lovely toffee taste to it

Toothsome Chocolate Emporium, City Walk

It was 3.00pm now and we were done with the parks so we decided to tick another thing off the list and sample a chocolate cocktail. It was really quiet and there was only one other person sat at the bar. Our bartender was amazing, we definitely prefer the bar service at Universal to Disney. We ordered a Chocolate Cherry Mule for me (Double Chocolate vodka, brandied cherry, ginger beer, chocolate bitters)

and Chocolate Coffee Banana for Brett. (Caribe Club banana rum, Galliano Ristretto liqueur, Faretti chocolate, soy milk, chocolate bitters)

We also had to try the warm Chocolate Almond Bread (Fresh chocolate almond bread, salted caramel butter)

Oh my goodness this was all heavenly. My drink wasn’t a creamy one like Brett’s but you could really taste the chocolate. I love how they grate white chocolate onto the cocktails here. The bread was just divine, I wish we had ordered more.

For our next round, I fancied a creamy one after trying Brett's so the bartender said he would come up with something off menu. He asked what my favourite flavour was and I said mint so he made me a Mint Chocolate Chip Martini. It was delicious and didn’t last long.

Brett had an Espresso Martini but with a chocolatey twist. This also didn’t last long.

We decided to have one more before heading over to see Jorge again at NBC Bar and Grill. The bartender encouraged Brett to try something different and go for the Old Chocolate Fashioned (Bird Dog chocolate whiskey, cherry Heering liqueur, sugar, chocolate and orange bitters). This is usually too strong for Brett but he actually enjoyed this and the sugared orange peel made it a bit sweeter.

I had another off menu creation that was an Almond and Caramel Martini. This was also delicious but they aren’t shy with the spirits here, even with the creamy ones!

Therefore we ordered a portion of Truffle Fries (Shredded parmesan, fresh herbs, white truffle oil) to share to make sure we didn’t get tipsy and these were out of this world too. We will definitely be back here on our next trip as Brett is desperate to sample the milkshakes too.

NBC Bar and Grill, City Walk

Jorge the bartender asked us what we wanted to drink and we just said anything you want to create. I have no idea what we had but I think I recognise a couple from his Instagram page. They were all delicious- we had a fruity one each and a creamy one each. I love how Jorge makes his cocktails look so pretty and the way he layers them too is really clever.

We also got some Parmesan Fries even though dinner was approaching to try and soak some of the cocktails up.

Marvel Character Dining, Islands of Adventure

I was so caught up with the characters that I failed to take any pictures of the food but it was delicious. It was a buffet of pizzas, salads, meatballs, pastas, chicken tenders. I have gone into detail on my Trip Report but this was just≈amazing. Not cheap at £85 for the both of us but it was a great late birthday treat for Brett.

Voodoo Donuts, City Walk

I have been a fan of these since they were one tiny store appearing on Man Vs Food, it is really nice to see a small shop do so well. We went for the Voodoo Doll, (Raised yeast doughnut filled with raspberry jelly topped with chocolate frosting and a pretzel stake)

Universal Orangesicle (covered in citrus frosting, topped with chocolate pearls and filled with Bavarian cream)

Chuckles (Raised yeast doughnut with chocolate frosting dipped in hot chocolate powder and topped with peanuts and caramel and chocolate drizzle.)

and Portland Cream (Raised yeast shell filled with Bavarian cream and topped with chocolate and two eyeballs, representing the vision of the great city of Portland.)

If I am being completely honest, I didn’t get the hype and I suspect it is purely because they have been victims of their own success and become a chain. I ate the Voodoo Doll back in the room that night and we shared the others for breakfast the next day and I don’t think they tasted the freshest on either day, they were a bit dry. They were good, they weren’t bad, just not super amazing like I was expecting. The best one was the Portland Cream. I think I would get them again though and try something different

[princessnicki]

Day 14- Epcot

Starbucks, Future World

Brett picked up a Caramel Frappuccino and resisted ordering the biggest one even though you could get it as a snack credit. He said this was really good

Trowel and Trellis

It was food time now and we decided to start with the Canada side this time as we had missed a lot of the main booths at the start last time. We sampled the Farmhouse Meatball (with Lentil Bread, Spinach, Marinated Vegetables, Creamy Herb Dressing). It was really good, the meat was a little bit spicy and it worked well with the spinach. I liked the lentil wrap that it came in, it reminded me of a naan bread.

La Isla Fresca

We ordered Jamaican Braised Beef (with Pigeon Pea Rice and Micro Cilantro). I don’t think this gets many good reviews as there was so many in the bin but we loved it. It was a big portion and piping hot. The beef was soft and tender and the rice was delicious.

Citrus Blossom

Next up was the Lobster Tail (with Meyer Lemon Emulsion and Grilled Lemon). I wasn’t expecting much from this but it was surprisingly good and a decent amount of meat for a little $8 snack- excellent use of a snack credit too

Pineapple Promenade

Finally it was time for a Violet Lemonade and it exceeded all expectations. It was refreshing, fruity and so sweet. I expected it to taste of Palma Violets but it was more lemonade flavoured. I really enjoyed it and i can see why it's so popular

Honey Beestro

I had been desperate to try the Honey Mascarpone Cheesecake (with Orange Blossom Honey Ice Cream garnished with Fennel Pollen Meringue Kisses and Petite Lavender Shoots) so we ordered this

and the Honey Chicken Tandoori Flatbread (with White Cheddar Cheese, Charred Vegetables, Clover Honey Sour Cream and Micro Citrus Greens)

These were both ridiculously good. The flatbread was really sweet and quite a big piece- I let Brett eat most of this but it was really delicious. The cheesecake was to die for, so rich and creamy, I just love Mascarpone cheese. The icecream was orange and honey and it was also beautiful- sweet and tangy at the same time.

Refreshment Port, Canada

I don’t know why but we decided to try the Traditional Poutine. The portion was huge! We were so full now but couldn’t help but continue to eat the whole thing. The gravy and cheese was really hot but that didn’t seem to stop us. It was just so good but I did regret eating it afterwards.

Fleur De Lys, France

I'm not sure how we (Brett) still had the room but we went to France for the Canard Confit à la Provençal (Braised Duck Confit with Tomatoes and Olives on Polenta). It reminded me of the Jamaican Braised Beef, the meat just fell apart and was so soft and the Polenta was delicious, we have had Polenta fries many times and they are so tasty.

L'Artisan des Glaces, France

Brett was in the mood for icecream so we got a scoop of Caramel Fleur de Sel Ice Cream to share. It was a really different flavour, it took us a while to work out it was supposed to be salted caramel but when we did I think the salt taste was quite strong and that’s why it wasn’t as sweet as we expected. We really enjoyed it though and it was a big scoop

Hanami, Japan

Somehow we ended up trying the Frushi (Fresh Pineapple, Strawberry and Melon rolled with Coconut Rice garnished with Whipped Cream, Berry Sauce Drizzle and Toasted Coconut) and it was just as good as the first time we tried it.

Refreshment Outpost

Brett got drink envy when he saw some drinking a Frozen Coca-Cola Slushy. This was amazing and really refreshing in the heat

Le Cellier, Canada, Epcot

I'm not sure how we still had room but it was time for dinner. We were shown to our table and ordered cocktails- Ottawa Apple (Crown Apple Maple Whisky, Apple Infusion, and Cranberry Juice) for Brett

and Victoria Raspberry (Dillon's Small Batch Vodka with Fresh-squeezed Lime Juice and Raspberry Purée) for me. Both were really good, refreshing rather than strong.

Our server brought us the bread I had been waiting all day for- pretzel roll! It was delicious!

We ordered the Châteaubriand for Two (Snake River Farms Wagyu Tenderloin, Bone Marrow, Truffled Fingerling Potatoes, Sauce Bearnaise Au Poivre, Red Wine Reduction). It wasn’t huge which we were so grateful for but it was still a decent size portion and was so delicious. The meat was seasoned and cooked perfectly and it was so soft. I would have picked rare but was happy with medium rare, it was still very pink. The potatoes were very salty but in a good way, I could have eaten more of these.Brett loved the Bone Marrow on the meat too. Although we still rate Yachtsman Steakhouse as number one, this was a very close second for steak.

We ordered another round of the same cocktails to have with our dessert. This was the next part of the evening I had been waiting for- Maple Creme Brulee. Now this was huge! It was worth the wait and i was gutted i could only eat half of it. The maple was strong but not overpowering.

Brett had Warm Pecan-Brown Butter Tart (Maple Ice Cream, Brown Sugar Anglaise, Whisky Caramel) and this was also beautiful.

A really great meal, I am surprised this place gets so many negative reviews, we loved it and wouldn’t hesitate to go back. Every aspect of the meal was beautiful.

[princessnicki]

Day 15- Volcano Bay

Another day that wasn’t really food or picture heavy. In the morning I went to the Mara again to get a couple of breakfast sandwiches to take to Volcano Bay but in the rush I forgot to take pictures. I didn’t spill my Mimosa this time though.

Blaze Pizza, Disney Springs

The plan first was food and to see what the fuss was all about at Blaze. I was surprised to see it empty on a Saturday afternoon but it must have been fluke timing as the queue was huge when we got to the cashier. We ordered the BBQ chicken (Chicken, Mozzarella, Red Onion, Banana Peppers, Gorgonzola and BBQ Sauce Drizzle)

a side of Garlic Knots

and a diet coke (no cocktails here just wine or beer). We sat outside as it was another beautiful day and tucked into the pizza. It was delicious, I loved the goats cheese and BBQ sauce. The side was also gorgeous. I would have said I can totally understand why everyone raves about this place until later in the evening when we tried the Boardwalk Pizza window and that blew Blaze out of the water. It was delicious and a great use of QS credits as you can easily split a pizza and a side between two people


Jock Lindsay’s Hanger Bar, Disney Springs

Next stop was cocktails and Brett wanted to try somewhere that wasn’t the standard Disney menu that we had already had a few times. The theming of this place is really cool from the decor to the menu to the glasses. We grabbed two seats at the bar and ordered Hovito Mojito (Barson Quebranta Pisco, fresh Lime Juice, Mint, and Simple Syrup topped with Soda Water) for me

and Cool Headed Monkey for Brett (Starr African Rum, Van Der Hum Tangerine Liqueur, fresh Lime Juice, Watermelon, and Pineapple Juice)

They came in the coolest glasses, it’s a shame you can’t buy these! They were delicious but quite strong so we ordered the Air Pirates Pretzel (A Jumbo Everything Pretzel with Spicy German Mustard and Beer-Cheese Fondue). I love the way Americans socialise, sit at the bar and have a drink, order food there, another drink, more food. The pretzel was amazing but I think the NBC one just edged it.

We decided to have one more and Brett got Wrong Island (Siesta Key Silver Rum, Tito's Handmade Vodka, Tamiami Gin, Tippler's Orange Liqueur, and Sweet-and-Sour with a splash of Coca-Cola)

and I got Air Pirates Mule (Knob Creek Disney Select Single Barrel Reserve Bourbon and fresh Lime Juice topped with Fever-Tree Ginger Beer) They were both really nice

Jellyrolls, Boardwalk

We got the bus to the Boardwalk and walked over to Jellyrolls around 7.30pm. We went earlier so we could get a seat. We paid the $15 each cover charge and found a seat at the high tables near to the bar. I ordered the Sex on the Beach andnit was huge, it was a double cocktail.

Brett got the Captains Rum and was gutted that it was nowhere near as big as mine- it tasted good though, it was like a Mai Tai.

The Manager came over with a wedding cake shot for us too which I thought was really lovely.

We also sampled a helping of the popcorn from the machine.

Boardwalk Pizza Window, Boardwalk

I fancied trying the famous Boardwalk Pizza so we headed over before it closed and got two pizzas- Sausage and Mushroom and White Pizza with Bacon and Mushrooms. These came with a decent choice of sides but we just got crisps and diet cokes. I completely forgot to take pictures but as mentioned they were better than Blaze. You can get one pizza and two sides for one QS credit or a large pizza and four sides for two QS credits- another great use of dining plan! My favourite was the Bacon one, I think it was the fact that it had the white sauce on it and gave it a different taste to a traditional pizza. These were so good, I think they are the best Disney pizzas (although we are yet to try Via Napoli). We got an Uber back with our pizzas and ate them in bed watching American TV

[Guest]

I can’t keep up.

One of your photos has just prompted me to send DH to Starbucks for a caramel Frappuccino and I thought he might as well get me a cheese and marmite toastie whilst he is there.

Le Cellier looks excellent, I thought the meat looked rare almost, we would eat it like that. I am almost tempted to add it in although we do already have a lot of signatures and I am not sure I have much room left in my plan.

[princessnicki]

Day 16- Magic Kingdom and Epcot

Cheshire Café, Magic Kingdom

We decided to grab a light breakfast and shared a Cheshire Cat Tail

and Wonderland Slushy (Minute Maid® Raspberry Lemonade with Fanta® Grape and a Candy-coated Straw) Both were delicious- the slushy was frozen Fanta Grape and Raspberry Lemonade and you could eat candy off the straw

Columbia Harbour House, Magic Kingdom

We walked over to Liberty Square to split a Lobster Roll (Chilled Lobster with a touch of Mayonnaise on a New England Style Bun, served with House-made Potato Chips) again no cocktail as MK is limited on alcohol

but we did get some Hush Puppies.

They were both really good especially the sandwich, I love lobster.

Arbor, Epcot

Over in Epcot, we started at the left this time and headed to get the Smoked Salmon Stack (with Avocados, Tomatoes, Sour Cream, Caviar and Focaccia Crostino). This was so so good, all my favourite ingredients in one dish and it even had a sprinkling of caviar on top. This was probably one of my favourite dishes of the festival and it was a decent sized portion too.

Jardin de Fiestas, Mexico

We got the Tres Leches (Milk-soaked Sponge Cake topped with Cajeta Whipped Cream and Almond Powder) This is as described, basically cake soaked in syrup and milk- it was so delicious and quite a big piece too. The desserts we had tried at Flower and Garden were amazing, we were very impressed.

Lotus House, China

I didn’t really fancy anything but we went for the House-made Crab and Cheese Wontons. They were surprisingly good and you got three so again a decent sized portion. I thought they would be bland like my Cannoli was but they really weren’t- the filling had a lovely strong flavour.

Refreshment Outpost, Epcot

Brett wanted another frozen coke while he stood by the Coke AC unit but I noticed they did Coke Float with Chocolate Softserve so of course we had to get that. It was amazing but huge! I left Brett to eat most of it as I was saving myself for dinner but I think I actually preferred this to the Dole Whip float. A really good use of a snack credit.

Bauernmarkt: Farmer's Market, Germany

I wanted the Toasted Pretzel Bread topped with Black Forest Ham and Melted Gruyère Cheese but it was quite big and as mentioned I wanted to leave room for dinner as it was a three course affair tonight. We went for the Potato Pancakes with Home-made Apple Sauce. I didn’t like these at all so Brett finished them. I think this was the only thing from Flower and Garden that I didn’t enjoy.

Taste of Marrakesh, Morrocco

Our final snack had to be the Walnut Honey Baklava. I absolutely love Baklava and this one didn’t disappoint- it was gooey and delicious. We were happy to have completed all the booths but since we got home and looked in our sticker book, we realised we missed Taste Track and the Violet Donut oops.

Sanaa, Animal Kingdom Lodge

We had been looking forward to this meal for a while as it was heavily African influenced. First port of call was of course cocktails. They have four exclusive to Sanaa so we decided to try all of them, starting with Painted Lemar (Amarula Fruit Cream Liqueur and Van der Hum Tangerine Liqueur from South Africa combined in a Chocolate-striped glass inspired by the distinctive striped tail of the Madagascar Lemur) for Brett

and African Star Mojito for me (Starr African Rum, Van der Hum Tangerine Liqueur from South Africa, fresh Lime Juice, and Mint)

Both were delicious, African Starr rum is huge at Disney, we may have to invest in some for home. Brett's was made up of Amarula and Tangerine Liquor and I didn’t think creamy and fruity would work but it tasted amazing

We had to order the Bread Service (Choice of Five Breads and with all Nine Accompaniments - Traditional Naan, Garlic-Ginger Naan, Spiced Naan, Onion Kulcha, or Paneer Paratha. Accompaniments - Cucumber Raita, Roasted Red Pepper Hummus, Mango Chutney, Tomato-Date Jam, Tamarind Chutney, Coriander Chutney, Garlic Pickle, Red Chile Sambal, or Spicy Jalapeño-Lime Pickle)

It didn’t disappoint. The breads were so soft and the dips were all really good. I did prefer the less spicy ones but Brett managed to finish them all with his entree, I think the Mango Chutney was his favourite and I liked the Hummus and Tamarind Chutney.

For entrees Brett had the South African Braaivleis (Fire-grilled Meats with Traditional Accompaniments), which is basically BBQ meats. He really enjoyed their take on this especially the Boerewors sausage which is hard to find over in the UK.

I had the Potjie and chose Durban Shrimp (Brett's home town) and Paneer Tikka- it also came with Scented Basmati Rice. I think I got short changed here as the server didn’t tell me that I could get two meats on the dining plan- I really wanted to try the Butter Chicken too even though I probably wouldn’t have been able to finish it all. The shrimp was delicious though and a bit on the spicy side. The server said Brett was the only person she had served that pronounced all the dishes correctly especially Potjie (poi-kee) as nobody ever gets that right

We ordered the other cocktails to enjoy with dessert- Kande Coconut Cooler (A refreshing combination of Starr African Rum, Coconut, Vanilla Ice Cream, and Orange Juice) for Brett which was perfect for him as it was like a Pina Colada

and Malawi Mango Margarita for me (A frozen blend of Tequila, Van der Hum Tangerine Liqueur, Mango Purée, and Freshly Squeezed Lime Juice) which was very refreshing.

Our server brought out our desserts as well as a glass of champagne each.

I had the Spice Trade Candy Bar (Coconut, Apricot, Caramel, Pistachio, Cashew Bar coated with Milk Chocolate, topped with Chai Cream, Pistachio Crumb, and Apricot Gelee)

and Brett had the Kenyan Coffee Petit Entremet (Kenyan Coffee-Chocolate Mousse, Espresso Financier, Vanilla Crémeux, Caramel, and Kenyan Coffee Crumble)

Both were so rich and chocolately- I took most of mine to go to have for breakfast the next day, it was gorgeous like a rich Mars Bar.

We were so full but I think this was easily our favourite TS meal of the honeymoon and will 100% be on our list when we go back.

[princessnicki]

Day 17- Hollywood Studios

Trolley Car Café, Hollywood Studios

Brett grabbed another Caramel Crunch Frappuccino and really enjoyed it

Woody’s Lunchbox, Hollywood Studios

We went back to split a different breakfast sandwich- S'more French Toast Sandwich (Marshmallow and Chocolate Ganache stuffed in Grilled Custard soaked Brioche encrusted with Graham Cracker Crumbs)

with a side of Potato Barrels but somehow ended up with two pots.

We also finally got to try the Grown Up’s Lemonade (Three Olives Cherry Vodka, odwalla All-Natural Lemonade and Black Cherry Purée) which was so tasty, Black Cherry Vodka is a new favourite of mine now and even Brett really enjoyed it. The sandwich was gorgeous but nowhere near as much filling as the Smoked Turkey one. I would love to go back for lunch and try the Brisket melt.

Hollywood Scoops, Hollywood Studios

We had some time to kill until our Aerosmith fastpass so we got a Ice Cream Sandwich on Fresh-baked Cookie to share, choosing Pecan flavour icecream. The cookies were so soft and chocolately and the icecream was really sweet- I love caramelised pecans.

Dockside Diner, Hollywood Studios

I fancied another cocktail and Brett said he was a bit peckish so we looked on the app and found a good choice of cocktails here. Brett grabbed a table outside and I went to order. For the cocktail, I went for something Brett would absolutely love- Kahlua and Cream Milkshake (with Kahlúa and Baileys Irish Cream (choice of Chocolate or Vanilla)

To eat I got the Carolina All-Beef Foot-Long Hot Dog (topped with Pulled Pork and Coleslaw and served with Chips)

I kept looking at the other cocktails and really fancied the Rum Punch so while I was waiting for the food I went back to the cashier to order this

and Loaded Chili-Cheese Nachos (served with Guacamole, Pico de Gallo and Sour Cream)

Brett was laughing when I returned with the food and said he was sure he could make a good dent in the Nachos too. The food here was really good and with the cocktails it is a great use of QS credits. The milkshake was amazing, very sickly but really nice.

California Grill, Contemporary Resort

We checked in and were taken upto the 13th floor- the Manager recognised us from Brunch and started chatting to us, which I thought was a nice touch. We were seated a table away from the window but still had a decent view of the castle. Our server came over and took our drinks order- I picked the Blackberry Sour (House Made Lemonade, Fresh Blackberries and Ketel One Citron) that I had had at Brunch

and Brett had Midnight Snow (RumChata, Frangelico, Baileys, Half and Half, Sea Salt) which was another creamy concoction. They were both really good.

We received the Sour Dough bread service too which was lovely with the olive oil. Our server was a bit scatty though, she managed to spill the water, the oil and a bit of my cocktail too.

We ordered our entrees- Grilled Pork Tenderloin (Goat Cheese Polenta, Crimini Mushrooms, Caponata-stuffed Squash Blossoms, Zinfandel Glaze) for Brett

and Oak-fired Filet of Beef (Crème Fraîche Mashed Potato, Jumbo Asparagus, Meyer Lemon Vinaigrette, Triple Garlic Butter) for me.

This is where it went a bit downhill. The entrees finally arrived at 8.50pm, the same time as the mass crowd for the fireworks and meant we didn’t get to pick a good view for Happily Ever After. We also had to rush our food so we didn’t miss the show. The server hadn’t brought me a steak knife but as I was in a rush I didn’t bother asking for one. This was probably the only meal that I wasn’t overly excited about and wouldn’t rave about- the steak wasn’t as good as Le Cellier or Yachtsman and everything was over salty. Maybe we were being critical because the experience was a little bit dampened by the service but I do think the other signatures were better.

We went back in for our desserts- Warm Valrhona Chocolate Cake (Vanilla Bean Ice Cream, Milk Chocolate-whipped Panna Cotta, Pretzel Crunch) for Brett

and Strawberry Creme Brulee (Vanilla Bean Crème Brûlée, Fresh Local Strawberries, Cornflake Crunch, Coconut Whip, Sponge Cake) for me.

They were both really good but not enough to make me want to rush back- we will 100% be back on the next trip for Brunch as there was a huge difference in service and food compared to dinner.

Our server brought us a glass of champagne for our honeymoon- every restaurant had done this (or comped our second round of cocktails) and I think it is a really nice touch

Overall we still had a good evening- the food wasn’t awful, I think we had just had better elsewhere and the experience probably made us not love the food as much as we wanted to. The setting is stunning and as mentioned we wouldn’t hesitate to do the Brunch again. It was still an amazing end to the most perfect honeymoon for us

[princessnicki]

Day 18- The Mara, Animal Kingdom Lodge

We had planned to visit Animal Kingdom but then this changed to Disney Springs to use up our final 20 snack credits on something good and have a nice QS meal but then this changed to relaxing at the hotel in the sun. We decided to just have lunch at The Mara instead and got the Tamarind Pork Sandwich (Tamarind-seasoned Barbecue Pulled Pork on a Brioche Bun with Kool Slaai (Coleslaw) topping on the side and served with French Fries)

and Hand-carved Turkey and Avocado Club (Hand-carved Slow-roasted Turkey Breast, Berbere-spiced Bacon, Pickled Red Onions, Arugula and a Chunky Avocado-Mayo Spread served with Kool Slaai (Cole Slaw) and French Fries)

with Kahlua Iced Coffee

and a Mimosa.

I also got a Mickey Rice Crispie treat

Bahama Breeze, Orlando International Airport

We went initially for a drink but there was a ten minute wait- Brett said that was fine he would nip to the toilet while I waited. Sods law meant I was seated straight away so I ordered a Strawberry Mojito (Bacardi Dragon Berry, fresh strawberries and lime)

Brett appeared soon after and ordered himself the Mama's Hooch & Holler Flight (Bahama Mama · One Love · Goombay Smash)

and decided he was peckish too so ordered the Chicken Quesadillas (Sliced chicken with onions, sweet peppers, spinach and cheese. Griddled and served with tomato salsa and sour cream)

and Coconut Shrimp (Our famous large, crispy shrimp with citrus-mustard sauce from the appetisers menu) I had drink envy when Brett’s mini cocktails arrived but he shared them with me- the food was also delicious and we definitely need≈to try the main one next time we are over

Virgin Atlantic Premium Economy

Our flight was soon ready to board and we were one of the first ones on. I really was impressed by Premium Economy, getting on first and chilling with a glass of champagne while everyone else is boarding is the way forward.

To eat I had Sweet Chilli Chicken

and Brett had Vietnamese Pork,

with a red velvet cake for dessert

and a glass of Amarula.

It wasn’t bad at all for plane food and I think we could justify saving that little bit extra to fly Premium again in the future. I was gutted they no longer served the Full English for breakfast but the Hazelnut Croissant was absolutely gorgeous, it was packed with the hazelnut filling and was enough for breakfast. I thought we had taken pictures of this but it doesn’t look like we had. We really enjoyed it though. Another great flight from Virgin Atlantic. Fantastic service both ways and≈impressive food for an airline.

[princessnicki]

Summary, Highs and Lows, Future Plans?

Disney food is absolutely amazing and we had so many highs during this trip

I think the dining plan is brilliant and well worth it when it’s free, but on a normal day it wouldn’t be how we eat. We prefer eating out during the day and would pick lunch over dinner, also we prefer appetisers and mains if we are having a formal sit-down meal, and we like tapas style food when eating more casual meals so some nights we would have just shared appetisers at the likes of Trader Sams, Jock Lindsays etc. It worked for us on this trip though as we could maximise park days and relax with a meal at night even if sometimes we did feel a bit restricted having to rush home from a park to get changed for a signature meal in the evening. This doesn’t take anything away from how good the actual food was though, from snacks to counter service to table service to signatures to the Godfather that is V&A, it was all a fantastic delicious experience!


We had way too many snack credits. We upped our game halfway through and had more snacks especially at the Flower and Garden but we still had 20 credits left to use at the end, despite wasting a few on bottles of pop. We didn’t struggle with QS and TS credits. I think the introduction of alcohol is a great perk and we managed to get a cocktail with most QS and every TS meal. The reason we managed to use all our QS credits is because towards the end we cashed them in to get a cocktail each even if we weren’t really fussed about the food.


I had budgeted for tips in advance but when I sit and look back at my FairFX statement, the amount we spent on tips and an extra round of drinks with our evening meal was eyewatering. At Signatures it was easily $40 tip and $25 for an extra cocktail each so free dining was actually costing us $65 a day. We even had the second round of cocktails for free some nights or it would have been higher. Jiko was particularly expensive at $105 as we treat ourselves to an appetiser each as well as an extra round of cocktails, we declined the dessert too which made it even less value for money. As much as I love the Disney bubble, I would be interested to work out the cost of eating at a mixture of fine dining and mid-range offsite. I think onsite always wins for the convenience especially as we don’t drive.



Our favourite Signature was Yachtsman Steakhouse, Table Service was Sanaa, Quick Service was between Be Our Guest and Satuli Canteen. The only one I can say I wouldn’t do again is California Grill dinner but the brunch is a must-do.


We preferred the bar service at Universal to Disney. We didn’t have a sit down meal at Universal so can’t compare that but definitely the bartenders work a lot harder for their tips and to give you an experience at Universal. We have said next time we would like to try more appetisers at Toothsome as well as check out Antojitos on City Walk.


So do we plan to return? Well prior to the honeymoon my answer was I love Disney but I love America in general and there are so many places we want to visit- combined with the fact that Disney World has got so expensive, I can’t see this becoming an annual vacation for us!

However, we had the most perfect honeymoon and are already desperate to go back!

The original plan was no holiday in 2020, try sneak a Disney cruise in 2021 and do the West Coast and Hawaii for Brett’s 40th in 2022. But I think that is all up in the air now as Brett fell in love big time with Disney World and he wants to get back here as soon as possible (I feel the same). We toyed with the idea of next year but we would have to scale it back to a week, pick Universal or Disney, stay offsite, so realistically we probably can’t afford to go next year as much as we would love to.

I think we are aiming to go back to Orlando in 2021 for our second anniversary- hopefully staying at AKL again if there is free dining and doing a similar experience to this trip. Brett is already banking £10 a week for our shopping pot as we definitely wanted to go more crazy in Levis than we did (and I can always find room for more handbags)

Watch this space! Thank you for reading

[Floridaagogo]

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[princessnicki]

Originally Posted by Floridaagogo

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