Newlyweds in the Caribbean: Curse of the DLXDDP - Day 15 - Disney Springs, Animal Kingdom & Tiffins

[Scruffette]

Newlyweds in the Caribbean: Curse of the DLXDDP - Day 15

Index

Thursday 13th September

Disney Springs & Animal Kingdom

Lunch at Chef Art Smith's Homecomin', Dinner at Tiffins

A rare occurrence happened this morning for us on a WDW trip – I had a bit of a lie in! I slept in until 9.15am and felt so much better for it.

Ollie, who is incapable of sleeping in (I don’t appreciate the 6am wake up most weekends), got up and did a load of washing. A normal cycle cost $3 and took 30 minutes, which was really good. I brought my own fairy non bio liquid tabs from home to use as I’m a bit picky about these things.

He then appeared back at the room with drinks and fresh washing. Perfect!

I ate about half of the carrot cake cookie for breakfast. It was more cake than cookie, but had a good ratio of cream cheese frosting to cake.



Our reservations for the day looked like this –











I popped to the gift shop to pick up the Christmas decoration I had bought at Epcot for my niece as I wanted to get this personalised at Disney Springs and met Ollie at the boat dock.

I love the boat journey between French Quarter and Disney Springs. We had no wait this time and the journey (on a fairly empty boat) took around 20 minutes. Such a relaxing way to travel.





We arrived at the perfect time for our 11am reservation at Chef Art’s Homecomin’. At 11am, is it really more of a brunch than a lunch?






It was empty in here and we were seated straight away, by the person who would be our server and make the drinks from the bar. I think I even saw her in the kitchen at one point! Whatever her role was, she was very efficient!

To drink, we shared two cocktails –

Apple Pie A La Mode - Ole Smokey Apple Pie Moonshine, vanilla vodka, apple juice, cinnamon, house-made simple syrup and a dash of lemon -$12.00 and Rumshine punch - Strawberry Rumshine, Blackberry Brandy, Banana Liqueur, Pineapple Juice and House-Made Grenadine



I think the rumshine punch was one of their cocktails on tap. My favourite was the apple pie a la mode, probably because it tasted like apple pie! I wasn’t sure how I’d feel about the cinnamon in a drink, but it was very subtle.

We also shared two starters. First the Bunch of Puppies - House-made hushpuppies served with pimento cheese and red jalapeño jelly - $10.00



I had planned to order these in advance (I reviewed the menus thoroughly before the trip) and I enjoyed them, but a portion to share was plenty. I think a whole portion myself would have been a bit samey.

We also decided to go for the Bee Haven Bay Fried Green Tomatoes - Shaved ham, rémoulade sauce and dressed local greens -$14.00



This was not pre planned at all, but we both really enjoyed this so much more than the other appetiser. It was also pretty big for an appetiser. Ollie was pleased it came to find it also came with ham on top!

For our mains, what else could we go for than fried chicken?

Art's Famous Fried Chicken - Buttermilk-brined for 24 hours then perfectly fried and served with creamy mashed potatoes, a cheddar drop biscuit and love - $28.00



I’m not sure what part of the meal was meant to be the ‘love’?!

We both switched out the mash for Momma’s Mac and Cheese. We were told there was no upcharge for this, as we were on the deluxe dining plan. Ollie was even allowed to add bacon to his mac and cheese for free. He still struggles to get his head around why I didn’t add any bacon to mine and even joked if I was really his wife. I think I knew I would be overwhelmed by the volume of food!

Each portion had 3 large pieces of chicken. Now this was some tasty fried chicken! Neither of us really touched the biscuit – why would you with all the other scrummy things on the plate?

Despite being quite full, we did the right thing and ordered dessert. If we were heading straight back to the resort, I would have taken dessert to go. However, we had a few hours of shopping planned and a trip to AK, so the desserts would have been a hot mess by the time we got back.





True words Art.

For desert, I ordered the Hummingbird Cake - Pineapple-Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting, Served with a Seasonal Fruit Gastique and a Scoop of Vanilla Bean Ice Cream



I really wish I was able to finish this one! It was surprisingly light for a cake and a very strong dessert option.

Ollie went for the seasonal special, which was a key lime pie. I can’t find a description for this one.



A bonus hidden Mickey always makes a dessert better! He thought this was quite rich but tasty. He particularly liked the graham cracker crust.

Overall we were both really keen on Chef Art’s and it definitely makes the ‘next time’ list! One of our favourite one credit meals.

Will full tummies, it was time for some shopping!





First up was an incredibly brief visit to Sephora (I hope Ollie was impressed)! For the same eyeliner I bought at the Florida Mall on our shopping day – thought I would stock up. I was confused why it had come out a bit more expensive ($12 plus tax) and then remembered I got 10% off last time, I think because I signed up to their rewards programme.

We then took a look in SuperDry – Ollie’s visit here wasn’t quite as brief as my visit in Sephora. Clearly lacking my speedy shopping skills! There wasn’t much going on in the ladies, but there were lots of bits and pieces in the men’s sale. Ollie managed to get 3 tshirts for $13.25 each and a pair of shorts for $24.75.

Having never been in a Uniqlo before, and the shop looking particularly big with prominent Disney clothing, this was our next stop.

Ollie spotted a super cosy Minnie hoodie dress for $29.90. I love this, even if I only wear it round the house.

We then got a few bits and pieces for some little people.

This Disney pyjama set for $14.90



This cute Winne tshirt for $9.90



And a real bargain, a Discovery Channel dinosaur tshirt for $3.90



As with most of our purchases today, we got it shipped back to the resort. However, the staff in Uniqlo seemed to really struggle with this. Surely someone had been asked this before? About 4 or 5 different sheets were filled out and eventually they seemed to be happy. We were hoping our shopping would turn up at our resort!

Our next stop was Arribas as we wanted to buy some glasses. My parents have a set that Ollie really likes. However, on our 2015 trip, despite deciding he would buy some, he changed his mind last minute. Since then he has talked a few times about them, so I was determined we would get a set!



They were $12.60 each plus tax. We also got our names engraved, for $3 each. Our welcome documents from Disney also included a 10% off voucher which we used here.

Next on the list was Disney’s Day of Christmas. There was so much choice in the Christmas ornaments this year that it was hard to narrow down. In 2015 I remember being a bit disappointed in the lack of selection, which is not normally an issue I have in Disney World!

The one thing I couldn’t find, however, was a ‘Just Married’ ornament. I’m certain I’ve seen these in the past, but had no luck on this trip.

I love a deal, and most of the ornaments were on offer for 3 for $60. Looking at my receipt, this $60 seemed to include tax as well, so even more of a bonus.

I got Ollie two ornaments to put up for Christmas. The first was an Oliver and Company ornament. It’s a film about cats and uses his name, so he loves it! Normally $21.99 plus tax.



Next, I got him this Coco decoration, normally $24.99 plus tax. I also got this personalised ($3) and I think they do a really good job here!





I also bought my parents a Mickey and Pluto dec ($21.99).



When I got out the Dumbo baby’s first Christmas decoration, the cast member noticed it wasn’t the most pristine ornament (it was the last one in Epcot) and, as they had a few in stock, let me change it for a nicer one, which was very kind of her.

I had sent Ollie off to Art of Disney while I made my purchases. Of course we ended up buying something when I met him in there! This cruise ship at Castaway Cay picture reminds me of our honeymoon every time I look at it. This was $39.99 plus tax.



Ollie used his time alone in the shop to sneakily buy me a sketch of Beauty and the Beast with our wedding date on. This is beautiful and hangs in our bedroom.

Somehow we managed a visit to Disney Springs without a stop at World of Disney! Although we could easily have done more shopping (my credit card might have disagreed), we thought we should head over to Animal Kingdom. We had an early dinner reservation, and more importantly, a Flight of Passage fastpass!

We were debating the best way to transfer, and quite fancied the boat. Luckily, the boat back to French Quarter was pulling in just as we arrived.





This was a chilled boat journey back to the hotel, although we walked straight to the bus stop without going back to the room (the perk of having our purchases shipped back).

Two AK buses had pulled up at the same time, despite the board saying there was still a 10 minute wait!



It was then straight over to Pandora, appreciating the beauty while heading straight to Flight of Passage.

This was our second ride and I loved this again. My back restraint was pushed in tighter this time, which I recommend as I could feel the breathing sensation of my banshee more.

Even though the fastpass cuts out most of the queue, the pre-show does take quite a long time to get through.

Because of this, we were maybe 10-15 minutes late to our Tiffins reservation. This meant we had a bit of a wait for our table.





I’m going to start now by saying this was my least favourite meal of the trip and certainly not up to the standard I expect from a signature restaurant.

Let’s start with a positive – the restaurant is beautiful and you can see the attention to detail that went into designing it.







Now, the bread was just odd. The flavour was very strong and it was a bit stodgy. It’s rare a meet a bread I don’t like, but this fell into that category. It doesn’t even look that appetising…



Our server seemed a bit hard to track down at times for water refills. I get through quite a few glasses of water at dinner, as I would order a cocktail instead of a soft drink. Also, it’s Florida so lots of water is required!

To drink, I had an Annapurna Zing - Bombay Sapphire East Gin, Passion Fruit Purée, Mint, Lime Juice, Ginger Beer -$13.25 and Ollie has a Hightower Rocks - Casa Dragones Blanco Tequila, Watermelon, Sweet-n-Sour, Lime Juice - $13.00



I really enjoyed the light up lotus on top of mine

We both struggled with the menu choices a little bit here and I think there had been some recent menu changes. I don’t consider us to be picky eaters, but we both found it tricky to pick a starter.

I went for the - Peaches and Cream - Masumoto Peaches, Burrata Cheese, Heirloom Tomatoes, Peach-Maple Reduction, Salted-Pecan Brittle - $14.00



The burrata did melt in your mouth and I enjoyed it, but I suppose it was effectively mozzarella and fruit.

Ollie went for the Spiced Chickpea Falafel - Mint-Pistachio Pesto, Cumin-scented Garlic Yogurt Sauce, Pickled Vegetables - $11.00



This was an unusual choice for him as I’m not sure I’ve ever seen him order falafel before. He said it was the nicest falafel he’s had, but he’s generally not the biggest falafel fan.

For mains, I went for the Shrimp and Grits - Anson Mills Grits, Applewood-smoked Bacon, Heirloom Tomatoes, Smoked Pepper Jam - $33.00



The grits were a really inconsistent texture – one bite would be very smooth and the next would be lumpy. I didn’t enjoy the variety of textures – pick one and stick to it! The shrimp were nice but had a bit more spice to them than I was expecting.

Ollie went for the Surf and Turf - Grilled Local Beef Tenderloin, Butter-poached lobster Tail, Yukon Gold Potatoes, Charred Broccolini, Cape Mountain Whisky Butter - $62.00



He didn’t have much luck with his meal at all. He ordered his steak rare, as he normally would in the States. The first plate that came out has his steak cooked as expected, but it was stone cold, as if it had been left out for a long time. He orders steak enough to know that even a rare steak shouldn’t be cold.

He sent it back and the same steak was brought out a fair bit later. It was definitely warm, but was now well done. I don’t know if this was a mis-communciation between us, the server and the kitchen, but it still wasn’t right.

Ollie had to send it back again, and a bit later a member of the kitchen staff came over with another steak. This was both rare and not cold, which was perfect. However, he had finished most of his meal by this point (only the steak was going back and forth to the kitchen) so ate his steak after all his other food.

The lobster was nice, but the steak shenanigans became the memorable aspect of the meal.

For dessert, Ollie went with the trio (he loves a good trio), which contained -

Whipped Cheesecake - Amarula Panna Cotta, Sesame Crumbs, Espresso Sponge
South American Chocolate Ganache - Caramelized Banana, Cocoa Nib Tuile
Guava Mousse -Lemon Curd, Pomegranate Sauce



This was presented in 3 stacked dishes, but Ollie turned this into a hidden Mickey.

I was planning to order the mousse, but the server mentioned it had grapefruit in, which I’m not keen on. However, Ollie later said that the grapefruit flavour wasn’t that noticeable and tasted citrusy but not bitter. When I excluded the coffee flavour and peanut butter desserts, it didn’t leave me with much to choose from.

This is how I ended up with the weirdest dessert I have ever ordered…

Halo-Halo - Sweet Potato Ice Cream, Jack Fruit, Raspberry-Ginger Beer Sorbet, Condensed Milk Ice Cream, Coconut Crumble, Lime Pâte de Fruit - $9



When one of your ice creams is grey, it really is a bad sign…

I don’t know who thought sweet potato ice cream was a good idea, but they were really wrong. Disappointingly, they managed to lose any sweetness from a sweet potato when they made it into ice cream. It might as well have been made of regular potato. And how did they make it grey?

We were given this celebrate plate, which was a nice touch. However, we weren’t too impressed with the sweeties (although we did eat them to be polite). The one on the right had such a strong lavender flavour that it tasted a bit soapy.



Overall, we were not keen on our experience. It’s a shame, as there is so much to look at here. However, it is just not the same calibre as most of the other signatures.

Ollie settled up while I popped to the restroom, and once outside I was sad as I thought I’d left the light up lotus blossom inside, but Ollie had noticed and picked it up for me.

[Scruffette]

We were reasonably far into our FP slot of Kilimanjaro Safari now. I have mixed feelings about the night time safari – there are limited visuals and it does take a shorter route. However, the female lions were really vocal at night which was cool to hear.

I didn’t attempt to take any photos – they would be a dark, blurry mess!

We headed back to Pandora for a look at night, but didn’t have time to take it all in properly. It really was beautiful and I wish we had made some more time to explore. Poor night time photo alert…



We grabbed a Night Blossom drink from Pongu Pongu before leaving to enjoy on our way to Rivers of Light. This became our go-to drink in AK. Highly recommended!

En route we passed the Tree of Life awakening show. We only had time to watch for a little bit, but it’s nice to see the Tree of Life getting some more attention – it is a beautiful park icon.



We entered Rivers of Light at 8.30pm, towards the end of the FP slot. It was then we realised that a FP just guarantees you entry to the show, not a central viewing spot (like in Fantasmic). I think over half the audience had a fastpass, judging by the entrances that were being used.







Rivers of Light gets really mixed reviews. My verdict? It was fine. With the amount of time Disney took developing the show, I felt a bit more could have been done. I’m completely fine with the fact that it doesn’t feature Disney characters, but it was just lacking. To me, it didn’t have the same emotional impact as other shows.

Also, I had it in my head that there were performers in the show. I was waiting and wondering when they would appear!

As the crowds were exiting the park, we instead took a look in Island Mercantile. There wasn’t a lot of 20th anniversary merchandise, but I did get this magnet for my Mum. My family’s first visit was in 1998 and on Easter Sunday we got a ‘sneak preview’ entry to the park before official opening day. I thought this would be a nice reminder for her. It was $9.99 plus tax.



I also got this badge for making a donation to the conservation fund.
By the time we left the park there was no queue for the bus and we were soon back at French Quarter. That lie in this morning seemed a distant memory! Ollie, of course, watched some Weather Channel before bed!

Day 16 - Epcot, Food and Wine & Yachtsman Steakhouse