Jingle Bell Jingle Bam - 21 Days Christmas Food Report - Maybe some Christmas Ham

[Jaspercat10]

This is my first attempt at a food report, as I have drooled over so many of yours I feel its time I should give back

So Whats The Plan

There are 6 of us in our family, me a very youthful 45 (well in the right light usually after 4pm at this time of year)

DH 49 I think he has had enough of Disney really, this is our 5 visit but he just goes along with it, plus he would never book a holiday, unless it was some lawn mower based adventure.

Then there is 3 Sons oldest one turns 17 whilst we are there other 2 are 13 and 12, and then DD is 14, has her dad round her little finger

She also always does the best out of the shopping as the only girl

We are off next Friday the 13th down to Gatwick, the kids finish school at lunch time so we will hopefully get to Gatwick for dinner, we have a night in the Bloc Hotel, stayed in the Premier Inn last time We cant stay there this year as my oldest son wound up my youngest son all night last time as we put them in a room together, after my youngest enquired why there was a bible in the drawer and my oldest told him it was because people killed themselves in the rooms marvellous

Really cheap reward flights with Virgin on Saturday morning (that's how I sold the original plan to DH as we are lucky enough to get the APD back on the 3 youngest still so there flights were just over 100 pounds each going out, currently sitting on a gazillion reward miles but too mean to spend them on the kids sitting up front.

First night is at Port Orleans ( quick Disney fix, we are hoping if the boys have had a good nights sleep this time we will have a quick visit to Blaze, if we have starting to hallucinate we will eat at Port Orleans.


We then drive to Tampa in the morning as we have booked our first cruise on the Norwegian Dawn for a week around the Western Caribbean.

This was a bit of a sweetener to detract from another Disney Holiday for DH although we have to see what we think of this.
We have a suite for all 6 of us, so no wrestling under the duvet that week for us, it was great price if we had gone at the end of the holiday it was 3 times the price so for once, the kids schooling worked in my favour.
Just a note for anyone ( it was cheaper to book a car from MCO for the week and pay for the parking at Tampa port than to book a taxi or driver to take us)

We then go from Tampa, and have 4 stops Cozumel, Roatan Honduras, Harvest Caye - Belize and Costa Maya -Mexico, I started to look for trips for us to do independently last week and stumbled across

The 10 most dangerous Cruise Ports in the World

Roatán, Honduras Number 1
The island of Roatán looks like a Caribbean paradise. It’s surrounded by crystalline waters that make for world-class beach and scuba experiences. It’s a deep shame, then, that its country, Honduras, has not been able to get its rate of violent crime under control. More than 40 American citizens have been murdered in Honduras since 2010. Since 2014, there have been taxi-cab rapes, Carnival cruise passengers held at gunpoint, and a Norwegian Cruise Line crew member shot and killed during a robbery. Most famously, Nedenia Post Dye, an heiress to the General Foods fortune, was stabbed to death in her Roatán spa. According to the U.S. Department of State, “Honduras lacks sufficient resources to properly respond to, investigate, and prosecute cases. As a result, criminals operate with a high degree of impunity. Since 2010, Honduras has had one of the highest murder rates in the world.” The State Department acknowledges that Roatán has a lower crime rate than the mainland but adds this about the island: “Thefts, break-ins, assaults, rapes, and murders do occur, and rates are still high by international standards.”

We have decided we will only have a look around the port at this one, the kids have played too much Fortnite and think the port is going to be full of snipers

Anyway back to the eating so I have booked 4 speciality restaurants on the boat
Brazilian Churrascaria
La Cucina Italian
Teppanyaki
Le Bistro French Restaurant
The rest of the time we will eat in the regular restaurants, so happy to report on this if anyone wants to know, or I can just skip to the good bit Disney

On the 22nd we arrive back at Tampa pick up the car and drive to Coronado Springs for 13 nights I think I have 2 preferred rooms booked. We then get rid of the car and will UBer
Went for CS because the deluxe resorts are hideously priced for 6 of us as we have to have 2 rooms, so this was the best moderate as DH and oldest DS like a gym and I am excited to have a look around.

After much debate with my kids I have booked and paid for the Deluxe DDP on one of our rooms, so we have 9TS credits a day plus 6 snacks and 3 refillable mugs (we will buy one more for the other child). Husband gets really grumpy when paying oop for a Disney Meal so for some reason if it it paid for beforehand he remains calm, so this was really to maintain a good working environment
Last summer we had the free regular dining plan and we ended up with over $500 of Ghiradelli Chocolate and about 40 of the swirly rock lollies at the end of the holiday after swapping our unused snacks and qs meals it was just too much for us.

So we will pay for any QS and and cheap TS, I have 2 quite fussy kids so in the Signatures I often pay OOP for them to eat of the kids menu, which actually is great more credits for us The other 2 boys are constantly on a man versus food mission

So where are we eating...

Here are our plans so far desperately trying to get a reservation at Le Cellier no luck so far, so if one pops up there will be amendments

Day 1 22nd Dinner Toledo - Tapas Coronado Springs

Day 2 23rd Bfast Kona Cafe - Dinner Story Book Dining Artist Point

Day 3 Christmas Eve- Bfast Whispering Canyon - Dinner Via Napoli Candlelight Procession Package

Day 4 Christmas Day Ale & Compass Christmas Day Brunch - Drinks Oga Cantina & Dinner Mama Melrose

Day 5 Boxing Day Topolino Terrace Character BFast, Dinner Homecomin

Day 6 Yachtsman Steak House

Day 7 Dinner La Hacienda

Day 8 California Grill Brunch Dinner Wolfgang Pucks

Day 9 New Year Eve Eve Morimoto Asia Lunch ( may not make this one) then we have The Plaza Restaurant MK will pay OOP for this

Day 10 New Years Eve Breakfast 1900 Park Fare, Dinner Teppan Edo

Day 11 Jan 1st Breakfast GF Cafe Dinner California Grill

Day 12 Jan 2nd Bon Voyage Breakfast Dinner Morimoto Asia

Day 13 Jan 3rd Jungle Skipper Canteen ( prob swap for a signature)

So there you have it will post as many Christmas snacks and obviously cocktails etc as well

I will try and post as much as we go along, although on the ship I am not sure about the wifi situation.

So just a week and a bit left and we are off, hope you can read along xx

[TinkerSmee]

I am excited for this!

[Kat11]

Ohhh sounds great! Have fun, following along. 😃

Kat

[Goldia]

Wow, what a fantastic trip! It sounds amazing. The cruise to set you off, so you can chill out and relax, assuming you survive Honduras! Wow, that sounds a bit hairy. Then what a great WDW Christmas you're going to have. It all sounds really exciting. Have you been at Christmas before? I'd love to go at Christmas but I'm not sure anyone else would want to be away from home.

[Jaspercat10]

Originally Posted by Goldia

Wow, what a fantastic trip! It sounds amazing. The cruise to set you off, so you can chill out and relax, assuming you survive Honduras! Wow, that sounds a bit hairy. Then what a great WDW Christmas you're going to have. It all sounds really exciting. Have you been at Christmas before? I'd love to go at Christmas but I'm not sure anyone else would want to be away from home.

See more...

Thank you yes very excited, I have been at Christmas but over 30 years ago as a child, We decided to go this year after another weary Christmas last year hosting rude grumpy relatives So I have left it to someone else this year Hopefully I will convince the family that Christmas away is a great idea so we can go again next year xx

[princessnicki]

this sounds amazing, loving the Disney food choices (definitely post cocktails pics), that's really scary to read about Roatan- my ex work colleague is out there at the moment teaching scuba diving, I had no idea it was so unsafe!

[Goldia]

Single digit day for you! Not long now.

[Tassiriki]

Looking forward to this! Have a great time and enjoy that cruise. My brother has worked in Honduras and said it was hairy in some places but that the majority of the country was ok with friendly people and stunning nature.

[Jaspercat10]

Nearly there now ...
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[Rescuer]

Wow. What an amazing trip you have planned. Can’t wait to hear all about it. We loved our Christmas trip last year. I’ll be reading along with a mixture of joy and envy😂