collybird's Unfinished Business [a Fall 2019 Report] - COMPLETE

[Buggles94]

Loving this food report but very late to start reading as am sulking after returning from the magic last week! We were on the DDP too and feel we really didn't use the snacks well - had so many left over! We tried to use them round EPCOT but not much success I'm afraid! I was also lucky enough to grab one of those limited edition bands! I was told it was the last one left in all the parks then saw one a few days later in MK Absolutely love it! Thanks so much for sharing your report - makes me feel I am there again!

[collybird]

Originally Posted by caitlinsmummy

Wolfgang Puck looks so nice and great portion sizes and it seems even OOP it's quite reasonably priced xx

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It was definitely well priced OOP, we found that to be a bit of a theme in the Disney Springs restaurants

Originally Posted by theCMG

Great report so far, can;t believe I've missed so much of it already. Really must get to Wolfgang Puck's one day, it always looks fabulous

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Highly recommend Wolfgang Puck's definitely one that flies under the radar, thank you for reading!

Originally Posted by Dr.JumbaJookiba

Wolfgang Puck's looks really good, you're right about choice & quality - I'd much rather eat a sit down lunch at DS than somewhere in the parks.

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I think next year will definitely see us doing less TS in the parks depending on which dining plan we go for!

Originally Posted by Loobylou_82

So if you are on the DDP you don't get a side with your meal if you order steak? Wolfgang Puck looks nice but think i will try WP Express next year.

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Sadly no sides included on DDP. We love the Express, I was quite sad we never made it there this year.

Originally Posted by Buggles94

Loving this food report but very late to start reading as am sulking after returning from the magic last week! We were on the DDP too and feel we really didn't use the snacks well - had so many left over! We tried to use them round EPCOT but not much success I'm afraid! I was also lucky enough to grab one of those limited edition bands! I was told it was the last one left in all the parks then saw one a few days later in MK Absolutely love it! Thanks so much for sharing your report - makes me feel I am there again!

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Thank you for reading! Haha the CMs do tend to get a bit carried away with their stories about a piece of merchandise being teh last one. Hope you had a lovely trip, our feels so long ago already.

[collybird]

DAY 10

Back to Epcot today, it seems that no matter how much time we spend there we never manage to do everything we want to.

VIA NAPOLI

Another piece of Unfinished Business from last year, I was really excited about eating here as I love Italian food. We had been back in 2013 and I hadn't liked my pizza but it always looks so delicious that I wanted to give it another try.

You can see the menu here: disneyworld.disney.go/en...-napoli/menus/

We saw this on the table advertising the bread basket and I asked if we could have this as one of our starters but you're not allowed to do that Bit silly as it will be very cheap for them to sub something like calamari for it.

I decided to get the bread anyway and pay OOP.

It wasn't the best, very greasy due to the oil. Definitely not worth paying for and even if it had been free it would have been a disappointing bread service.

To start I had Arancini fried risotto balls, mozzarella, meat ragù

These were nice with a gooey cheesy centre, but much too big a portion.

Nik had Mozzarella Caprese fior di latte mozzarella, vine ripened tomato, basil

He liked this as it was very light and refreshing. I wasn't a fan as the slimey textures give me the fear haha.

There was much debate about mains. I wanted us to share a pizza and pasta but Nik is never down for sharing so in the end we both had pizza and agreed that we did want to pasta at some point this trip so we would book Terralina at Disney Springs (*spoiler* we never made it there).

I had Quattro Formaggi Pizza - Individual white pizza - mozzarella, parmesan, fontina, provolone

I can't tell you how long I have been waiting to try this or how disappointed I was that I didn't like it. It was just SO greasy, and basically just tasted like cheese on toast.

Nik had Pepperoni Pizza - Individual tomato sauce, mozzarella, pepperoni

He liked this and I agreed that the red base was the better of the two pizzas.

For dessert I had Coppa di Brutti Ma Buoni "ugly but good" amarena cherry and vanilla gelato sundae

This was one of the best desserts I've ever had. I don't normally like ice cream much but this was gorgeous, there was lots of different textures including meringue.

Nik had Gelati e Sorbetto

He chose Cookies and Cream and raved about this for the rest of the trip. He said he wanted to come back just for the dessert alone but I don't him there's a gelato stand in the Italy pavilion and he was incredulous that I had failed to mention this before

Service was good, we had a cast member earning his ears and he was very attentive. Unfortunately our table was the front of the restaurant next to doors leading out to the patio area and there was a lot of food traffic while the servers were setting up out there and it was quite distracting.

Lunch cost $124.61 and we left a $21 tip. I always thought that Via Napoli was a good option OOP but it ended up being much pricier than I thought. It joined Raglan Road and Le Cellier on the list of restaurants we should never have given a second chance to!

I stopped off at the Kabuki Cafe in Japan for some Rainbow Kakigori. This is shaved ice with flavourings on top. $4.26

This was so messy to eat and really tasted quite artificial. I wouldn't have it again.

Teriyaki Chicken Bun Steamed Bun filled with Chicken, Vegetables and a Sweet Teriyaki Sauce $6.12

I didn't expect to like this as I wasn't sure about the texture of the steamed bun but it was one of the best items of the festival for us.

Spicy Hummus Fries with Cucumber, Tomatoes, Onions, Tzatziki, and Chipotle Sauce $8.52

We loved these! I thought they didn't look the most appetising things of dishes but they were fab, and definitely had the promised spice. I'd have liked some more tzatziki to cool them down.

Golden Malte Belgian Waffle with Berry Compote and Whipped Cream $4.53

I was disappointed to find out the waffles aren't made freshly at the booth. It was really chewy and didn't hold up well against Mickey waffles. I should have gone with the beef.

Pão de Queijo Brazilian Cheese Bread $4.79

I thought these were awful, the texture of them made me want to gag but Nik loved them, he ate every last crumb.

Croissant aux Escargots Escargot Croissant with Garlic and Parsley $6.12

This is one of my favourite items at the festival, garlicy and buttery, just delicious.

The Skyliner had finally reopened so we left Epcot to do a tour of the route. I was really against the concept of the Skyliner but having ridden it I think it's fantastic. It's still a huge eyesore but a great way to get around, so much more efficient than the monorail.

We had valet parked at the Boardwalk today because I was done with the mess of the park entrances and we popped into the store for a drink before heading back to CSR for a nap.

I had an Apple Slushy $6.38. This was nice but not as good as Le Fou's Brew.

Nik got a seasonal cupcake which was pumpkin spice.

He took this back to the room, popped it in the fridge and then never ate it

[Pez01]

Ha ha I had the same reaction to the cheese bread in Brazil - I couldn’t even manage one mouthful as they were slimy inside 🤮

[SquishTheWhale]

Ooh no what was up with the texture of the cheese bread? I love Brazilian cheese bread normally, it's just like soft chewey little rolls with melted cheese! We always order them in Las Iguanas they are so good.

I always think that shaved ice looks like it tastes like the 10p ice pops I used to buy as a kid! Bleurgh.

[MrsSilverStar]

Ah, the amazing hummous fries! I was genuinely disappointed that I didn’t manage a second portion on a different day!

[dixonsontour]

I loved the dessert you had at via Napoli. The white pizza has never appealed to me.

[collybird]

Originally Posted by SquishTheWhale

Ooh no what was up with the texture of the cheese bread? I love Brazilian cheese bread normally, it's just like soft chewey little rolls with melted cheese! We always order them in Las Iguanas they are so good.

I always think that shaved ice looks like it tastes like the 10p ice pops I used to buy as a kid! Bleurgh.

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I'm not really a bread person really, so nothing wrong with them, just not for me.

It was exactly like a 10p ice pop! I'd probably say ice pops are better haha.

Originally Posted by MrsSilverStar

Ah, the amazing hummous fries! I was genuinely disappointed that I didn’t manage a second portion on a different day!

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They were so good but so pricey!

Originally Posted by dixonsontour

I loved the dessert you had at via Napoli. The white pizza has never appealed to me.

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I thought white pizza would be right up my street as I don't really like red sauces, I was very wrong! I'd be a bit hesitant to try white pizza at Blaze now.

[collybird]

Apologies for the brief hiatus, I've been very busy with work.

Riding the Skyliner had meant that we had now visited every resort this trip bar one, so despite originally planning to go to Frontera Cocina tonight we headed to Port Orleans Riverside.

BOATWRIGHT'S

We ate here before and although it wasn't bad, it was nothing to get excited about either, but their current menu was really appealing to me so I was glad to be back.

The restaurant was busy and check in is a bit stressful due to the narrow corridor outside being so busy as it's the main walkway between the reception and the QS. We didn't have long to wait before we were seated and we had a really lovely server who couldn't have done enough for us.

You can see the menu here: disneyworld.disney.go/en...ng-hall/menus/

Drinks were served in these cute glasses.

Cornbread arrived quickly. I usually hate this as it tastes like cake, not bread. But now I have made peace with the fact that it will taste like cake, and I like cake, so all is well.

Mardi Gras Fritters House-made Pimiento Cheese Fritters with Pepper Jelly

One of the dishes of the trip. No lie. Hot, crispy and ooey gooey inside. I could have eaten this twice over.

French Onion Soup Au Gratin Gruyère Cheese, Onions, and a Toasted Crouton in a rich Beef Broth reminiscent to Pierre D’Orr’s Home Village

Nik thought this was fantastic, and even I, who doesn't like soup, particularly French Onion soup, thought this was nice.

All-You-Care-To-Enjoy Chef's Platter Ribs, Nashville Hot Chicken, Smoked Sausage, Barbecued Beef Brisket with Mashed Potatoes, Macaroni and Cheese, Street Corn, and Green Beans

Nik couldn't decide between a few things on the menu and opted for this. He really enjoyed it and was happy with his choice.

The Big Easy 10-oz Grilled New York Strip with Crawfish Macaroni & Cheese, Seasonal Vegetables, and a Blackberry Port Demi

I could have chosen anything on the menu and been happy but I think by this point I had eaten so much red meat on the trip that I was now craving it. I've always found the NY Strip in the 1TS restaurants to be good and this was no different. I really liked the crawfish mac and cheese, I'd never had crawfish before and felt like it was a cross between shrimp and lobster. The green beans had a nice crunch and were seasoned enough that they didn't taste green haha. I was glad the demi was served on the side as it wasn't for me.

We got dessert to go as I had something else in mind!

Traditional Bread Pudding House-made Bread Pudding with Vanilla Ice Cream and a Bourbon-Salted Caramel Sauce

Pecan Pie Cheesecake Creamy Cheesecake with a Pecan Pie filling topped with Vanilla Chantilly Cream and Spiced Candied Pecans

Sadly, these went to the resort room fridge in the sky never to be tasted.

Dinner came to $118.84 and we left a $23 dollar tip. We were really surprised with how much we enjoyed this meal and I think it's a great option if you're at one of the Port Orleans resorts or if you have a car.

We popped into Riverside Mill as I wanted to grab a Magic Cookie Bar $4.57. The unthinkable had happened and we had run out of snack credits so I paid OOP for this.

I had been years since I had one of these and I forgot how good they were, one of Disney's best snacks.

DxDP Daily Cost: $232.50
Actual Daily Spend: $290.55
DxDP Cost to Date: $2,074.50
Actual Cost to Date: $2,423.44
Table Service Credits: 55/78
Snack Credits: 52/52
Unfinished Business: 9/12
Tips: $385

[SquishTheWhale]

Ooh I never paid any attention to Boatwrights when we stayed at Riverside but it looks like a bit of a hidden gem! Everything you chose looks awesome.

I've never had crawfish either but as I love lobster I want to- Ikea do a crawfish cook out event sometimes and somehow we always miss booking tickets!