Liveish dining report (COMPLETE) - Foody with a chance of souvenirs

[4holibobs]

Welcome to my 3rd liveish food report starting live on June 7th!

This is the trip that was never meant to happen. We weren’t meant to be going back to WDW until 2024 (our last being 2019), but I got sucked into wanting to see the 50th anniversary celebrations and feeling like we needed some magic in our lives after a tough lockdown, so here we are!

Who

Just the two of us (DH and I)… my 6th time in the parks and DH’s 4th, and our 4th trip together.

We have found a happy medium now with our trips in that we split our day into 3, one portion of that 3 is for rest. I think it was a tip I picked up from Debi who used to post regularly on here and it works well for us.

We aren’t in the parks 24/7 and we don’t feel guilty for that. It makes it a holiday we both enjoy. We especially love the water parks (Typhoon Lagoon our fave), and enjoy resort hopping. The sky liner hadn’t opened when we left in September 2019 so we are looking forward to trying that out this trip.

What and when

We are flying out on Wednesday 8th June from Gatwick to MCO (BA in World Traveller +), we have a premier inn booked on Tuesday eve and the plan is to eat somewhere along route (I have my eye on TGI Fridays), we have booked the No1 lounge in South Terminal, we are staying in a garden view room at POFQ (our 3rd stay there we love it so much) with 14 day park tickets and $549 dining credit (booked with ATD).

We were only staying for 9 nights originally leaving on 17th June, but I somehow managed to convince DH to stay longer (and not add a cruise on like we normally do, but do the entire stay at WDW), so we amended our booking and extended our stay through Virgin Holidays (room only) flying home now (work traveller with BA with extra leg room seats) on 23rd June.

We have booked 2 x lots of car hire through Andy at DFCH via Avis - an intermediate SUV for both bookings. We are hoping by booking the same class as vehicle for both bookings when we arrive we can ask to keep the same car for the whole duration and not swap part way through the trip.

We don’t plan to do Genie +, this trip is about taking in the atmosphere, enjoying just being present in the celebrations, and relaxing, so if we don’t get on a tonne of rides done that’s ok. Having said that, I would like to do Remy and Mickey and Minnie’s run away railway once this trip so we’ll see what the queues are like for those.

Onto the food

We have $549 dining credit and $200 gift card and the plan is to use those on food to start us off.

We had the QSDP on our last trip (2019) which we enjoyed, but did our 2016 without any plan so we are used to paying OOP.

Our plan is to eat in quick service restaurants or offsite. We have done TS restaurants previously (I think just Sci Fi Diner, Yak and Yeti, Be our guest), but we hope that by the time we go back in 2024 the dining plan will be out and we will most likely stay at POFQ again but upgrade the plan as there are places I want to try (mainly in resorts), but that’s for another trip.

So far on our list we have (in no particular order):

Disney
- Blaze pizza (a first night tradition getting the boat over from POFQ to Disney Springs)
- D Luxe Burger (I remember the fries here being a quick service credit and being amazing!)
- Polite Pig (DH loved it here last time)
- Gideons (providing the line isn’t too bad)
- Sleepy Hollow (I’ve never had a fruit waffle - must rectify that this trip!)
- Aloha Isle (we love dole whip)
- Several Starbucks for Strawberry Açai refreshers and probably breakfast
- Gaston’s Tavern (cinnamon bun for breakfast perhaps)
- Pongu Pongu for Night Blossom (I’ve been dreaming of this drink since our 2019 trip)
- Cart at Magic Kingdom which sells spring rolls (never tried them, definitely on must have list)
- The new smokehouse in USA pavilion EPCOT
- Flower and garden stalls at EPCOT (I have started to make a list of these on my phone when watching vlogs etc. The notes I have so far are:

Flavour full kitchen - grilled sweet corn
Hanami - frushi and chicken Yakatori
Cider house - BLT scone
Bauernmarkt farmers market - stiegal brewery raspberry Radler (beer flight) and potato pancakes
Canada booth - beef tips
Lotus house china booth - Chicken skewer
Refreshment outpost (near Africa) -
Tangerine soft serve
Citrus blossom - beer flight
Garden graze - try 5 items then get mango lime dole whip

Offsite
Cracker Barrel (they serve the best breakfast pancakes imo)
Mannys (although we think our usual one on 192 has closed so need to look into that)
Teak Neighbourhood Grill
Fords Garage
Longhorns

Chance of souvenirs

We love to shop in the USA. Anything from Cracker Barrel Christmas decorations (we normally go in September when they have them out so will be interesting to visit the store in June to see what they have), Target, Walmart snacks, Bath and Body Works, the outlets, TJ Maxx and Ross Dress for Less (yes we’re the kind of people who love to rummage in those shops).

Having a car is an important part of our trip meaning we can visit different offsite places to eat, and do our shopping.

I won’t include every single purchase in this report, as I’ll be posting under the dining report section, and not general trip report section, however, if we pick up any real bargains I’ll let you know!

I’ve pre-ordered our magic bands, we do have our 2019 ones to take, but I managed to get onto the website by VPN and have ordered myself a 50th anniversary one and I think DH a plain navy one to pick up at resort. They were $19.99 and $9.99 from memory (reduced from $34.99 and $19.99).

This week has been a tough one. I’ve been so poorly with a cold, but convinced everyone morning waking up it’s covid (but day 6 of testing negative).. anyway to cheer myself up I decided to start my pre-trippie, and I placed an order on shop Disney for 2 new T-shirts and a new pair of Minnie ears, and a new Tshirt from an Instagram seller (It says ‘I’m nicer when I’m in Disney’) so I’m excited for those to arrive… I’ve started collecting bits now for our trip which makes it feel so real!

Live report

I’m going to once again attempt to keep this report live once we arrive in Orlando.

When I did my 2016 one it was sort of a new phenomenon to report live (well, reading the comments back now it would suggest that), but I’d forget what we had / did otherwise.

I have enjoyed reading our reports back (especially as a motivator during lockdown), so to me it’s worth the time and effort to do. Hopefully I’ll feel the same when we are there!

I realise I am posting this extremely early, but wanted to get my ramblings down and out of my head and cheer myself up from feeling so poorly.

If there’s anything to report before we go, I’ll post again… if not I’ll see you in June!

[theCMG]

Can't beat a Gaston's cinnamon bun for breakfast Looks fab, thanks for reporting!

[4holibobs]

Originally Posted by theCMG

Can't beat a Gaston's cinnamon bun for breakfast Looks fab, thanks for reporting!

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Thank you for leaving the very first comment!

Can’t wait to get started 😎

[Cha cha]

I can’t wait to read along 😊
We were at POFQ in 2019 too we were there for 2 weeks early July. I love that resort and loved having an early morning stroll over to riverside in the mornings sometimes just for a change of scenery 😊
Love your 50th magic band 😀

[4holibobs]

Originally Posted by Cha cha

I can’t wait to read along 😊
We were at POFQ in 2019 too we were there for 2 weeks early July. I love that resort and loved having an early morning stroll over to riverside in the mornings sometimes just for a change of scenery 😊
Love your 50th magic band 😀

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Thanks! We’ll be heading out just slightly before you.. exciting times ahead! And yes there’s just something about POFQ 😊

[4holibobs]

We have had quite a productive Disney planning day today!

Our itinerary is sorted and I’ve started making notes of places I want to try so thought I’d share.

Travel day:
- Walmart or Target on arrival for a case of water (last time I think we got 12 for $3.99 which was the same price as one in the parks) and room snacks
Disney Springs for Blaze Pizza.

Day 1:
Magic Kingdom - Sleepy Hallow for fruit and Nutella waffle, Starbucks maybe Pecos bills just because it’s a bit of a tradition
Pool then Teak Neighbourhood Grill

Day 2:
Animal Kingdom - must get a night blossom and the perhaps Kusafiri coffee shop and bakery for flatbread with chicken or pork and spiced potato pastie.
Pool then Disney Springs for Polite Pig.

Day 3:
Cracker Barrel for breakfast then shopping day.
Pick up lunch out then evening at Magic Kingdom. We’ll either eat at the hotel before we go, or maybe at one of the monorail resorts or Columbia Harbour House.

Day 4:
Breakfast either in hotel or out maybe Denny’s, waterpark until late afternoon, and evening I want to try and find a new Mannys (I think the one we went to closed down).

Day 5:
EPCOT - I 100% want to try the karaml kuche - gingerbread salted caramel buttercream cookie. We may eat in the new smokehouse place in the American Pavilion.
Back to the pool afternoon then back to EPCOT of the evening, perhaps eating from the food stalls for Flower and Garden.

Day 6:
Morning and afternoon set for Skyliner resort hopping so no firm food plans yet. Will see what’s on offer and where we end up. We’ll take our resort mugs with us this day.
Evening meal at Longhorns.

Day 7:
Morning around the pool so most likely breakfast in the hotel.
Afternoon and evening at Hollywood Studios. On my list here is the ABC Commissionary - Mint choc chip cheesecake. I think DH would like the ronto wrap from Star Wars Land so maybe we will try that.

Day 8:
Waterpark so again perhaps breakfast out somewhere…
Evening at Disney Springs and maybe D Luxe Burger.

Day 9:
We may have to change our car this morning if Avis don’t let us keep the same one, in which case it may be breakfast in Celebration or Cracker Barrel.
Afternoon and evening in Animal Kingdom. We may do Yak and Yeti as have a Landry Card.

Day 10:
Shopping morning and afternoon so no firm food plans. Will see where the day takes us. We will either have lunch in Fords garage and then an evening at Hollywood studios, or go there on the evening instead of the park.

Day 11:
Waterpark day so no plans. Evening at Magic Kingdom, perhaps Columbia Harbour House or Cosmic Rays, although we have never tried Casey’s, so maybe that?

Day 12:
Pool morning so probably breakfast in the hotel, then EPCOT afternoon and evening. I’ll speak to DH to see if he wants to try and get an ADR perhaps?

Day 13:
Animal Kingdom morning perhaps we will try the chicken and rib bowl at the Harambe Market or yak and yeti quick serve. DH wants to try the Dino bites - coffee with ice cream cold brew. And I know I will definitely want to get another night blossom.
Afternoon at the parks and evening at Disney Springs. I would like to try the 4 rivers cantina food truck which is Mexican cuisine.

Day 14:
Waterpark so breakfast off site or in hotel, and perhaps lunch out somewhere afterward and last minute shopping.
Evening at Magic Kingdom. Not sure what we will get but have the cheeseburger spring rolls on my list as well as Sunshine tree terrace- orange and vanilla swirl and Confectionery store - peanut butter cookie pie topped with m&m’s for DH.

Day 15:
Travel home day, perhaps lunch out somewhere light before getting to the airport and home.

This update is mainly for me so I always have my notes with me! I’m now off to drool at the some more snacks on DFB channel! 😋

Happy Easter everyone!

[FeFe]

All sounds good! We’ll be there at the same time. Still toying with the idea of a trip report 😬 don’t want to start and give up half way through though.

It’s getting exciting now 😆😆

[4holibobs]

Originally Posted by FeFe

All sounds good! We’ll be there at the same time. Still toying with the idea of a trip report 😬 don’t want to start and give up half way through though.

It’s getting exciting now 😆😆

See more...

You should go for it! I couldn’t do a trip report as DH doesn’t want his face on the internet, and a food report can contain as much or as little as you like… I love reading mine back, it’s like re-living the trip all over again 😊

[eleele]

Oooh, exciting to have a daily plan! I’m desperate to book our next trip so I can start the park/food/shopping plans

[WIGGYSMUM]

Your plans sound great , Debs trip reports were the best !
Looking forward to your report