*NOW LIVE* Sept 2024 Liveish Food Report - turning 40 in Disney

[4holibobs]

Hello

Welcome to my 4th liveish food report and 5th food report.

I'm a little early (apologies) as travel day isn't until 8th September, which as I'm writing this is 60 days away...

Obviously, everyone here knows 60 days out is ADR day.. I have booked a lovely little set of ADR's this morning, so thought I'd celebrate by marking my place on this board!

Who, what, where

It's just DH and I again (we have no kids). I'm very grateful to be turning 40 in Disney

We're doing our usual Disney and cruise combined trip, with 13 nights staying at our beloved Port Orleans French Quarter for the first part of our trip flying in from Manchester airport with Virgin in Premium (booked flights using points and companion voucher).

We booked the hotel and tickets when the food and merch credit deal came up in April 2023 so have $1,300 to spend in Disney.

We have a river view room and can't wait to hear the sounds of the boat horns to Disney Springs

After our Disney stay we will drive down to Port Canaveral and board Royal Caribbean's Adventure of the Seas for 6 nights.

She's a smaller ship than we have been on recently, but has good reviews and excitingly we will turn Diamond status on this cruise, meaning we get some nice perks including free drinks from the next cruise on. We're in a balcony cabin - can't wait to look out at that beautiful Caribbean sea

We have booked 2 catamaran trips and also an evening meal in the steakhouse on board too.

We have booked our car hire through Andy at Discount Florida Car Hire and have an SUV for 13 nights as well as 1 day when we dock back into port.

We are flying back to Manchester again with Virgin in Premium after 20 nights away.

Disney food plans

A few weeks ago, I booked Summer House on the Lake in Disney Springs for the night of my birthday. We have watched videos of this and it looks right up our street (both food and atmosphere). I think I'm going to get the full rack of ribs and some of their fresh cookies for dessert.

As above, today is our ADR day and we have booked the following:

- Ohana - booked on a MNSSHP night, we hope to watch the fireworks on the beach after our meal (we couldn't quite fit MNSSHP into our plans this year sadly). I could only book a table of 3 for the time I wanted (tables for 2 times ended at 3.55pm), so need to try to modify that or if I can't we'll just turn up as a two on the evening

- 50's Prime Time Cafe as part of the Fantasmic Dining Package (it will be our first time watching Fantasmic)

- Grand Floridian Cafe for the morning of my 40th birthday (before we head to Magic Kingdom)

- Teppan Edo - booked for 7.30pm in the hope our timing will work for coming out to watch the EPCOT fireworks

We have $120 worth of Landry vouchers (bought in the Father's Day sale where you bought $50 and got $10 free) and should also get the $25 birthday reward, so have 2 visits to Yak and Yeti pencilled into our plans (we loved it last time and ate there 3 times), however, we will flash our Landry card to get a table at a time that suits us, rather than book ADRs.

We also plan to eat at Blaze Pizza (first night tradition), D Luxe Burger and pick up quick service meals (breakfast / lunch) in Magic Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, Typhoon Lagoon and our hotel. Oh and also my fave - Strawberry Acai Refreshers from Starbucks too - I'm excited for those.

Snacks

I have quite a large list of Disney snacks in the notes on my phone, including:

- Watermelon refresher drink from Energy Bytes trolley cart near Tron, MK (if its still there, think it was the first item on my list)
- Cinnamon bun and Creme Brulee croissant from Gaston's Tavern, MK (especially now my beloved fruit waffle from Sleepy Hollow has changed)
- Raspberry and pineapple swirl from Aloha Isle, MK (apparently it tastes like a fruit salad)
- Pot stickers from Sunshine Tree Terrace, MK
- Ice cream cookie sandwich from Dino Bites, AK
- Fries with pulled pork, cheese and BBQ sauce from Flame Tree BBQ, AK
- Cheese beignet from France, Epcot
- Cheese with honey from Greece, Epcot
- Smoked corned beef from F&W, Epcot
- School bread from Norway, Epcot
- Pretzel bread pudding from Germany, Epcot
- Green milk from Galaxy's Edge, HS
- Tandoori poutine from Eet, Disney Springs
- Gideons cookies, Disney Springs
- Everglazed donuts, Disney Springs

Wow! I'm exhausted just writing that out... not sure how realistic that list is, but a girl can try

Non-Disney food plans

We do like to eat offside (good value and delicious food usually) and have the following in our plans:

- Cracker Barrel breakfasts and lunch
- Chinese quick serve at Vineland Outlets (hopefully its still there from 2022 - I still think about the orange chicken )
- Cheesecake Factory
- Texas Roadhouse
- Longhorn Steakhouse

We have also reserved (free) tickets to two live music events at the Promenade at Sunset Walk (192), which as well as having live music, also have restaurants and food stalls. We found this location from A Clairytale offsite restaurant vlogs.

We have booked a day room for the day we arrive back in Orlando after our cruise and before our flight home and I've scoped out there's a Bahama Breeze and Olive Garden nearby, so we'll see if we end up in one of those too.

Non-food plans

In addition to our foody plans, we have also booked Discovery Cove (so will be having breakfast and lunch there), Keys to the Kingdom tour (which includes lunch) and Behind the Seeds tour in Epcot.

Weight loss

As with my other trips, I have been trying to lose weight before this trip. I'm over a stone down (having kept a stone off from before, so let's call it 2 ) and will be working with an Online Personal Coach from Monday (a birthday gift to myself) so hope to drop as much as possible from then until we go. I'm doing c25k at present and my next run tomorrow is week 8, so I have also been trying to build my stamina and fitness up before our trip.

Pre-travel day

Thought it might be worth mentioning, we have booked Premier Inn Heald Green Manchester for pre-travel day. We booked the meal deal with evening meal and breakfast included. At the time of booking, I reserved a table in the restaurant, however, a few weeks later, I got a notification email that the table had been cancelled.

I called the Premier Inn who told me their contract with Beefeater was being reviewed and they wouldn't know whether the restaurant would still be Beefeater or something else until a later date, but they would let me know.

I received a call today (by coincidence) to say the restaurant was opening as an exclusive restaurant for Premier Inn guests with a 'delicious menu' and confirming our reservation for our evening meal and breakfast. I'm guessing this is a Country-wide change so others may also be affected by the change.

Will be interested to see what the new restaurant is like. Thankfully, we have some time between now and then for them to iron out any initial issues.

Pre-trip plans

We have a busy few weeks coming up with a day out at a country fayre this weekend, a trip into the City to meet my girlfriends for lunch at the end of July, an afternoon tea with some work colleagues for a (civilised) hen do, a wedding, a visit to a stately home with lunch included and an evening stay (another Premier Inn with meal deal booked, not Beefeater), as well as a full weekend of birthday celebrations the week before we go.

We have booked and paid for my family to visit the theatre, have brunch out, do Birmingham Bake off, drinks in Alchemist, a Steakhouse meal as well as Sunday lunch for my birthday weekend plans.

Goodness knows how my weight loss will go with all those plans

Anyway, I think that's it for now. My previous foodie reports are linked in my signature, if you want a feel of what we have enjoyed before (including that delicious orange chicken from the outlets last trip). I enjoy reading my reports back once home to plan and get excited for our next trip, which makes them worthwhile to write (as live as possible) when away.

Thanks for reading and I'll see you again in 59 days!

[ClaireNJ]

Originally Posted by 4holibobs

Hello

Welcome to my 4th liveish food report and 5th food report.

I'm a little early (apologies) as travel day isn't until 8th September, which as I'm writing this is 60 days away...

Obviously, everyone here knows 60 days out is ADR day.. I have booked a lovely little set of ADR's this morning, so thought I'd celebrate by marking my place on this board!

Who, what, where

It's just DH and I again (we have no kids). I'm very grateful to be turning 40 in Disney

We're doing our usual Disney and cruise combined trip, with 13 nights staying at our beloved Port Orleans French Quarter for the first part of our trip flying in from Manchester airport with Virgin in Premium.

We booked when the food and merch credit deal came up in April 2023 so have $1,300 to spend in Disney.

We have a river view room and can't wait to hear the sounds of the boat horns to Disney Springs

After our Disney stay we will drive down to Port Canaveral and board Royal Caribbean's Adventure of the Seas for 6 nights.

She's a smaller ship than we have been on recently, but has good reviews and excitingly we will turn Diamond status on this cruise, meaning we get some nice perks including free drinks from the next cruise on. We're in a balcony cabin - can't wait to look out at that beautiful Caribbean sea

We have booked 2 catamaran trips and also an evening meal in the steakhouse on board too.


We have booked our car hire through Andy at Discount Florida Car Hire and have an SUV for 13 nights as well as 1 day when we dock back into port.

We are flying back to Manchester again with Virgin in Premium after 20 nights away.

Disney food plans

A few weeks ago, I booked Summer House on the Lake in Disney Springs for the night of my birthday. We have watched videos of this and it looks right up our street (both food and atmosphere). I think I'm going to get the full rack of ribs and some of their fresh cookies for dessert.

As above, today is our ADR day and we have booked the following:

- Ohana - booked on a MNSSHP night, we hope to watch the fireworks on the beach after our meal (we couldn't quite fit MNSSHP into our plans this year sadly). I could only book a table of 3 for the time I wanted (tables for 2 times ended at 3.55pm), so need to try to modify that or if I can't we'll just turn up as a two on the evening

- 50's Prime Time Cafe as part of the Fantasmic Dining Package (it will be our first time watching Fantasmic)

- Grand Floridian Cafe for the morning of my 40th birthday (before we head to Magic Kingdom)

- Teppan Edo - booked for 7.30pm in the hope our timing will work for coming out to watch the EPCOT fireworks

We have $120 worth of Landry vouchers (bought in the Father's Day sale where you bought $50 and got $10 free) and should also get the $25 birthday reward, so have 2 visits to Yak and Yeti pencilled into our plans (we loved it last time and ate there 3 times), however, we will flash our Landry card to get a table at a time that suits us, rather than book ADRs.

We also plan to eat at Blaze Pizza (first night tradition), D Luxe Burger and pick up quick service meals (breakfast / lunch) in Magic Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, Typhoon Lagoon and our hotel. Oh and also my fave - Strawberry Acai Refreshers from Starbucks too - I'm excited for those.

Snacks

I have quite a large list of Disney snacks in the notes on my phone, including:

- Watermelon refresher drink from Energy Bytes trolley cart near Tron, MK (if its still there, think it was the first item on my list)
- Cinnamon bun and Creme Brulee croissant from Gaston's Tavern, MK (especially now my beloved fruit waffle from Sleepy Hollow has changed)
- Raspberry and pineapple swirl from Aloha Isle, MK (apparently it tastes like a fruit salad)
- Pot stickers from Sunshine Tree Terrace, MK
- Ice cream cookie sandwich from Dino Bites, AK
- Fries with pulled pork, cheese and BBQ sauce from Flame Tree BBQ, AK
- Cheese beignet from France, Epcot
- Cheese with honey from Greece, Epcot
- Smoked corned beef from F&W, Epcot
- School bread from Norway, Epcot
- Pretzel bread pudding from Germany, Epcot
- Green milk from Galaxy's Edge, HS
- Tandoori poutine from Eet, Disney Springs
- Gideons cookies, Disney Springs
- Everglazed donuts, Disney Springs

Wow! I'm exhausted just writing that out... not sure how realistic that list is, but a girl can try

Non-Disney food plans

We do like to eat offside (good value and delicious food usually) and have the following in our plans:

- Cracker Barrel breakfasts and lunch
- Chinese quick serve at Vineland Outlets (hopefully its still there from 2022 - I still think about the orange chicken )
- Cheesecake Factory
- Texas Roadhouse
- Longhorn Steakhouse

We have also reserved (free) tickets to two live music events at the Promenade at Sunset Walk (192), which as well as having live music, also have restaurants and food stalls. We found this location from A Clairytale offsite restaurant vlogs.

We have booked a day room for the day we arrive back in Orlando after our cruise and before our flight home and I've scoped out there's a Bahama Breeze and Olive Garden nearby, so we'll see if we end up in one of those too.

Non-food plans

In addition to our foody plans, we have also booked Discovery Cove (so will be having breakfast and lunch there), Keys to the Kingdom tour (which includes lunch) and Behind the Seeds tour in Epcot.

Weight loss

As with my other trips, I have been trying to lose weight before this trip. I'm over a stone down (having kept a stone off from before, so let's call it 2 ) and will be working with an Online Personal Coach from Monday (a birthday gift to myself) so hope to drop as much as possible from then until we go. I'm doing c25k at present and my next run tomorrow is week 8, so I have also been trying to build my stamina and fitness up before our trip.

Pre-travel day

Thought it might be worth mentioning, we have booked Premier Inn Heald Green Manchester for pre-travel day. We booked the meal deal with evening meal and breakfast included. At the time of booking, I reserved a table in the restaurant, however, a few weeks later, I got a notification email that the table had been cancelled.

I called the Premier Inn who told me their contract with Beefeater was being reviewed and they wouldn't know whether the restaurant would still be Beefeater or something else until a later date, but they would let me know.

I received a call today (by coincidence) to say the restaurant was opening as an exclusive restaurant for Premier Inn guests with a 'delicious menu' and confirming our reservation for our evening meal and breakfast. I'm guessing this is a Country-wide change so others may also be affected by the change.

Will be interested to see what the new restaurant is like. Thankfully, we have some time between now and then for them to iron out any initial issues.

Pre-trip plans

We have a busy few weeks coming up with a day out at a country fayre this weekend, a trip into the City to meet my girlfriends for lunch at the end of July, an afternoon tea with some work colleagues for a (civilised) hen do, a wedding, a visit to a stately home with lunch included and an evening stay (another Premier Inn with meal deal booked, not Beefeater), as well as a full weekend of birthday celebrations the week before we go.

We have booked and paid for my family to visit the theatre, have brunch out, do Birmingham Bake off, drinks in Alchemist, a Steakhouse meal as well as Sunday lunch for my birthday weekend plans.

Goodness knows how my weight loss will go with all those plans

Anyway, I think that's it for now. My previous foodie reports are linked in my signature, if you want a feel of what we have enjoyed before (including that delicious orange chicken from the outlets last trip). I enjoy reading my reports back once home to plan and get excited for our next trip, which makes them worthwhile to write (as live as possible) when away.

Thanks for reading and I'll see you again in 59 days!

See more...

WOW this all looks fantastic & how lovely to spend your special day at Disney 🍾🥂🎂
I did MK for my 50th
What day is your birthday, mines the 17th
Well done on your great weight loss you’ll be able to have a few nice desserts or two especially at the Cheesecake Factory
I’ll try & follow along I go the day before you & might do a little live report

[4holibobs]

Originally Posted by ClaireNJ

WOW this all looks fantastic & how lovely to spend your special day at Disney 🍾🥂🎂
I did MK for my 50th
What day is your birthday, mines the 17th
Well done on your great weight loss you’ll be able to have a few nice desserts or two especially at the Cheesecake Factory
I’ll try & follow along I go the day before you & might do a little live report

See more...

Thanks for joining! I remember you commenting on my last live trip report (you had a twix the same day as me but of course being in USA, mine was much larger) and of course I have read your reports also ☺️

My birthday is 17th too! Birthday twins 😉

Looking forward to counting down with you on our September thread!

[4holibobs]

Originally Posted by ClaireNJ

WOW this all looks fantastic & how lovely to spend your special day at Disney 🍾🥂🎂
I did MK for my 50th
What day is your birthday, mines the 17th
Well done on your great weight loss you’ll be able to have a few nice desserts or two especially at the Cheesecake Factory
I’ll try & follow along I go the day before you & might do a little live report

See more...

Ps - hope you decide to do a live too, we can spur each other on!

[Kat11]

Sounds like you’ve got everything in hand and have a brill 40th birday trip planned. Along with all your other birthday treats! 😍

I’ve been toying with the idea of booking Teppen Edo (it’s one of my fav restaurants) too but I’m trying not to over spend on our Disney credit, don’t want to add too much to it if we can help it. 💰

Although saying that I have just booked Liberty Tree Tavern for our last Disney MK day before moving onto universal! 🙈😋

I’ll try and follow along whist out there, but once I get home I’ll be able to carry on my holiday blues and reminisce through your posts. 😆

Kat x

[4holibobs]

Originally Posted by Kat11

Sounds like you’ve got everything in hand and have a brill 40th birday trip planned. Along with all your other birthday treats! 😍

I’ve been toying with the idea of booking Teppen Edo (it’s one of my fav restaurants) too but I’m trying not to over spend on our Disney credit, don’t want to add too much to it if we can help it. 💰

Although saying that I have just booked Liberty Tree Tavern for our last Disney MK day before moving onto universal! 🙈😋

I’ll try and follow along whist out there, but once I get home I’ll be able to carry on my holiday blues and reminisce through your posts. 😆

Kat x

See more...

Hi, thanks for reading and your comment!

Glad to hear Teppen Edo is one of your faves… we have never been but it always generally had good reviews and apart from food and wine I don’t think there’s much choice to our preference in Epcot.

Have previously toyed with LTT, hope it’s good.

Also look forward to continuing the countdown with you on our September thread ☺️

[m2k00]

The beef eater restaurants are changing to the current standard premier inn restaurant menu (normally call Thyme restaurant) which features at a large number of their locations. You can view the menu below (this now shows up as the menu for herald green).

https://www.premierinn.com/content/d...menu-band2.pdf

[sha9]

We’ll be there at the same time so I’ll try to follow along live but might need to binge read when I get home 😂.

[4holibobs]

Originally Posted by m2k00

The beef eater restaurants are changing to the current standard premier inn restaurant menu (normally call Thyme restaurant) which features at a large number of their locations. You can view the menu below (this now shows up as the menu for herald green).

https://www.premierinn.com/content/d...menu-band2.pdf

See more...

Thanks so much! I have to say I’m impressed with the choice available!

[4holibobs]

Originally Posted by sha9

We’ll be there at the same time so I’ll try to follow along live but might need to binge read when I get home 😂.

See more...

Are you doing a good report too? I’ve enjoyed reading them before ☺️

So many of us September crew getting excited to go!